Will You Ever Return to Me?

Chapter 3.

April 1999, Malfoy Manor.

Ginny hat sent out invitations to her three surviving brothers. None of them came. She didn't sent an invitation to Harry, but he came anyway. He didn't know what compelled him to do it. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna all urged him against it. He could see their point... but none of them were in love with Ginny. And so he was here, under his invisibility cloak, watching Ginny and Malfoy together.

The wedding was much smaller than Ron and Hermione's had been--the Malfoys didn't have many relatives and most of the Weasley clan agreed with Ron, Bill, and Percy on the matter. Blaise Zabini was acting as best man. Harry didn't see either Crabbe or Goyle--maybe Malfoy didn't want them to embarrass him. Harry felt sick.

The smile Malfoy had plastered on his face nearly made Harry lose control again. It was the same smirk he wore at the end of fourth year, when he laughed about Cedric being "the first". Ginny was at his side back then...

She looked beautiful. Harry wanted to do something... anything to stop this. Wild fantasies filled his mind... at one point, he was ready to grab her, summon his broomstick and fly off... maybe something would change... maybe she'd love him again... why did he leave her in the first place? He laughed. I left her to protect her. From whom? From the likes of Malfoy. That worked well. Yeah. I know.

Harry barely listened to the actual ceremony. If he saw one hint that Ginny wasn't happy, that she wanted to be elsewhere, he probably would have acted on it. But she didn't, no matter how much Harry forced himself to watch. But once the couple looked up and smiled, Harry made his move. He stepped right up to the altar and took off his cloak.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed. She obviously didn't expect this.

"Potter," Malfoy said.

"You weren't invited." Blaise Zabini moved towards him but stopped as soon as Harry drew his wand.

"No," Harry said, shifting his eyes from Malfoy to Ginny. "I wasn't. I wonder why..."

"I assumed you wouldn't want to come," Ginny said.

"I didn't. But neither did your brothers, and they got invitations."

"The--" Ginny covered her mouth, but Harry knew what she was about to say.

"I see," he sneered. "They're family. So despite everything, it's still about blood. Nice to know."

"Harry--"

"Spare me your pity, Ginny! I don't want it--I never did! But then, I'm just a dirty rotten half-blood who isn't good enough for our princess! Right?" Ginny reeled back in shock, Malfoy started drawing his wand, but Harry put his own wand to his throat. "One word, and Ginny will be a widow," he said. Malfoy stepped back. Harry turned back to Ginny. "You wanted yourself a nice, proper pureblood husband? Well, you've got one! Enjoy!" And he Disapparated.

Ron was waiting for him at Grimmauld Place. "How was it?"

"Bad. Even threatening Malfoy didn't make it fun." He paced the room. "I wonder what Dumbledore would say about this."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he always emphasized two things. The first was that our choices make us who we are. The second is that love is a powerful magic in its own right."

"So?" Ron asked.

"So... choices and love. And yet... I can't choose not to love Ginny. I shouldn't love her... I should hate her, especially after the way she treated you and Hermione. But I don't. I can't! I hate myself for still loving her instead, and I can't help it!"

Ron patted him on the back. "I'm not blaming you, Harry. I know perfectly well you can't control feelings like that. Will you be all right, mate? Once Hermione and I leave--"

"I'll live," Harry cut him off. "And it's not like I won't be able to see you. I will just need a Portkey, and it's not like I can't afford it. Don't worry. I'm busy with Auror training right now. I won't sit here and brood."

"All right. You'll come tomorrow, to see us off?"

"Of course I will. I'll see you."

As Ron left via the Floo Powder, Harry muttered to himself, "Why can't we choose whom we love?"

No one had an answer for him. Harry found himself thinking about Ginny. He knew he shouldn't have been thinking this... but he wished Malfoy would turn out to be a bad husband and that Ginny would leave and run to him.

He should have remembered an old proverb. Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.