Not Another Wedding Story

GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND DANCE

There was a great deal of chatter as the numerous guests enjoyed their meal. And a fair bit of wine was passed around too.

At the head table, Ron was sitting glumly beside Draco, forced to listen to a conversation between two newlyweds. Truly nothing is more devastating to the human soul than listening to your worst enemy flirting with your sister.

Eventually, Draco was able to tear himself away from Ginny to ask Ron about the speech the best man traditionally gave.

"Not to worry," Ron assured him, clutching his breast pocket. "I've got it all under control."

When the meal had ended, Ron did indeed stand to give the speech.

"Hello," he began, a greeting which the slightly tipsier among the crowd echoed. "Now as you know, traditionally the best man has to give a speech. Sadly, the best man was unable to perform his duties today." He gestured to Zabini, who was now sober enough to hold a glass of wine in each hand. "I didn't have enough time to prepare a speech, so I just thought that Zabini's speech might be more appropriate."

Draco blanched. He had a sneaking suspicion about the kind of speech Zabini might leave lying around in the hope people like Ron would find it. Ron took out a piece of paper.

"Greetings Muggle-loving dirt bags!" Ron read. "If you are hearing this, then that means for some reason I am unable to perform my duties. Most likely due to the mass amount of booze and women that the groom and I were sure to have enjoyed the night previously." Draco lowered his head into his hands. Ron continued. "It also means that Draco has chosen a boob like Crabbe to be best man, and the idiot can't be arsed writing a speech of his own. So I'll say this simply, just so the inbred redheads among you can understand." This was met by several gasps and curse words, but Ron raised his glass to silence them. "So I'll propose a toast. To Draco Malfoy and may he enjoy his days with his filthy blood-traitor wife."

"Hear, hear!" shouted Zabini, waving his two glasses of wine in salute. He then downed them, and called for more.

As Ron sat down, Draco got up again and tried to diffuse the situation. Several people were being restrained to prevent them cursing Zabini.

"I could have done worse," Draco told them. "Imagine what Father would have told Crabbe or Goyle to say."

This was met by a general murmur of agreement.

Hagrid stood up.

"I think that we won't be able ter fergive Zebeany without MORE WINE!!" he roared. This was met by cheers, clapping, and was regarded all round as the best speech ever given at a wedding. Ever.

Naturally, once the wine started to flow and the dancing began, anger at Zabini began to fade. As the music played the bride and groom where to be seen happily dancing in the middle of the room. At the tables, Arthur was having a deep and meaningful discussion with the priest about kettles, and Lucius had gotten so drunk he was now dancing with Molly Weasley.

At the edge of the dancing, Snape watched on, torn between desire to prove his own dignity and the desire not to be left out. Eventually, he gave up and leaped into the mass with a cry of joy.

Zabini, who seemed to have developed a new life philosophy that any time he wasn't drinking was time wasted, was right in the thick of it all. Fenrir Greyback was dancing dangerously close to him.

Fleur was by now a bit tipsy, and about twelve or thirteen men seemed to be hovering around where she and Bill were dancing. Although two of them were Crabbe and Goyle, who were actually dancing with each other.

In the middle of the dance floor, Lucius was now trying to form a one-man conga line. No one seemed interested.

After a while, Ginny sent Draco to take a rest, as the poor chap was run off his feet. As Draco collapsed into a chair, Ginny made her way across the floor to the only person who wasn't dancing.

Harry was sitting in the corner, a bottle of beer in hand. He tried to pretend he didn't see Ginny making her way towards him, and sat down beside him.

"You alright Harry?" she asked, sitting down beside him. He tried to smile at her.

"It's just-"

"Why?" she said, cutting him off. Harry looked perplexed.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why didn't you say anything?" she told him. "When we were in my room." He shrugged.

"This is your day. I didn't want to spoil it."

"Well you kind of are," she told him with a smile. "Get up, dance. Have some fun!" She stood up, and held out her hand. "Come on."

Harry smiled at her. "Sorry," he said, taking another sip of beer. However, Ginny wasn't going to take no for an answer. She grabbed his arm, and half-dragged him onto the dance floor.

It was a particularly fast song, and Harry hadn't danced in quite a long time, but as the song wore on Harry found he was enjoying himself, and decided to help Lucius form his conga line. With there combined efforts the line grew, until everyone had joined in.

"First one to drop buys the next round!" Lucius roared at the top of his lungs, to which he received cries of, "It's open bar!" Zabini was out of the line in a flash, but returned eager to prove the laws of gravity wrong by carrying three glasses of wine, two bottles of beer and four shots of whiskey whilst dancing the conga. It didn't go so well.

Then, Draco returned, informing Harry that he needed his wife back. At Ginny's encouragement, Harry made his way over to the bar, where he was greeted enthusiastically by Fred and George. They wasted no time in introducing him to the barmaids, on whom they had already bestowed kinky nicknames.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. At about one o'clock in the morning everyone began to trickle out. Crabbe and Goyle helped to carry Zabini, Lucius had to be supported by one of the Aurors, and Snape left with a girl on each arm, looking rather pleased with himself. Harry, Fred and George had disappeared about an hour ago, and the manager was beginning to wonder where half his bar staff had gone.

Eventually, the only ones left were Draco, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid. They had all decided it was best to leave Hagrid there until morning.

"Well, congratulations," Ron said, shaking Draco's hand. "Looks like we're related now."

For a brief moment it looked as though Draco was going to cry, then it looked like he might say something, but at last all he did was nod. He followed Ginny out.

"Come on Draco, we have to get to sleep sometime tonight," she said with a wink Ron's direction. Now Ron looked like he might be sick.

Then, Harry returned, his suit somewhat more crumpled, and his face somewhat more cheerful.

"What did I miss?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Our room in the hotel is beside Draco and Ginny's," Ron said, looking very pale. Hermione laughed, and grabbed Ron by the arm, dragging him outside.

This left Harry alone in the room, with his good friend Hagrid. And the remaining booze. Grinning, he sat down at the bar, and ordered up.

###

2 weeks later.

Draco and Ginny returned from their honeymoon to Draco's new house in the countryside, to find that they'd received a fair bit of mail. Still smiling, Draco opened the bill from the hotel. It all looked in order, until he saw the charges from the bar.

"POTTER!"