A Long, Strange Trip

Guests were beginning to arrive at the Longbottom estate. It was now almost eleven o'clock, with just over an hour to go before the ceremony. Neville watched the arrivals from his upstairs bedroom while fiddling nervously with his cream-colored tie and constantly adjusting the buttons on his gold brocade vest.

Down below he saw Harry and Luna arriving, with Phoebe in tow. Not far behind them was Mr. Weasley with Ron, along with Fred and Angelina, George and Alicia, Bill and Fleur -who had made a special trip from their home in Paris to be there - and their children. Since Neville didn't have any young relatives of his own, he had asked the Weasley and Potter children to be in the wedding party. Of course all of them had happily obliged.

He wondered what Ginny was doing right at that moment. He couldn't wait to see her. Even though it had only been a few hours since their night together, he found himself missing her as though it had been weeks. Last night had been probably the best - no, definitely the best of his life. For the first time, he really felt like a man. Once the ceremony was over, it would be smooth sailing. Let the chips fall where they may, there was nothing he couldn't handle.

He knew that it had been silly of him to go to Ginny's flat in the middle of the night and question her willingness to marry him. After all this time, he should trust that she returned his feelings, and that she hadn't been deprived of her senses when she accepted his marriage proposal. Neville turned his eyes up to the sky, dotted with clouds but otherwise clear. A slight breeze rustled the leaves of the trees surrounding the house, but the flowers that were woven through the gate remained relatively undisturbed. The weather had called for a very slim chance of rain, and Neville hoped with all his might that this would turn out to be false; at the very least, he wanted it to wait until after the ceremony. The ceremony was being held outdoors in the back yard, which was actually closer to the size of a football field. The reception would be inside the house. Gran had been ordering servers, caterers, decorators, and the rest of the help around the house with obvious pleasure all morning.

Of course, he reasoned, they could use magic to repel the rain if it did come, but he'd rather they didn't have to resort to any last-minute fixes. He wanted everything to come off without a hitch.

**

Draco Malfoy sighed boredly as he straightened the thin silk tie around his neck. He was irritable about being called out of town on such short notice. Why the partners couldn't manage one presentation without him was a mystery. On top of it, he had to spend his last day at home at a wedding for the good-for-nothing wimp Longbottom and whiny, annoying Ginny Weasley. Of course they should be happy to have each other, since clearly no one else would have them.

"Are you almost ready?" Cho called cheerfully from the bedroom doorway. She had just come from checking on Damien, who was in his room whining repeatedly about how he hated going to weddings while the nanny fastened his tie.

Cho looked positively radiant in an off-shoulder burgundy satin dress, with her jet-black hair swept up at the nape of her neck. Ruby earrings glittered in her ears, and around her neck was a ruby pendant. For a moment Draco forgot about the long, dull afternoon ahead of him, and stopped to admire her. There was something else about her today; she looked different, almost as though she were excited. She'd been up even earlier than usual; she'd already bathed and eaten by the time he got out of bed.

Now that he looked more closely, he vaguely recognized the dress. She'd bought it on one of her whirlwind shopping sprees in London, but she had sworn she wouldn't wear it until a very special occasion. He'd assumed she meant their anniversary, or the annual Malfoy holiday gala in December. But here she was wearing it for the Weasley-Longbottom wedding. Certainly that didn't count as a special occasion. His brow furrowed.

"What's the matter?" Cho said brightly, noticing his expression. "Is there something wrong?" She smoothed her hands down over the dress, and touched her necklace with her fingertips.

"No, of course not. You look stunning."

"Thank you." Cho smiled graciously. "So are you ready? We're really running late."

Draco sighed, and nodded. "Yes, let's go, then," he said.

**

From where he stood on the other side of the room filled with well-dressed guests mingling and chatting, Harry noticed that Ron seemed particularly antsy. He fidgeted with his tie, and his eyes were in constant motion scanning his surroundings as if looking for someone. Ron's gaze settled finally on Harry and he headed for the corner where Harry stood with Luna, who was conversing with Mr. Weasley about his latest Muggle discovery - a Kaleidoscope.

"Blimey," Ron said, seemingly out of breath, despite the very short distance. "I am so glad you're here."

"Why, what's up?" Harry asked. "Problems with the groom? He hasn't run off or anything -?"

Ron shook his head. He took Harry's elbow and steered him a little bit away from Luna and his father. "It's Hermione, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"She's pregnant..."

"Wow, Ron, that's great news..."

"...And she's gone completely mental," he added in a low voice.

"You mean, more so than usual?" Harry grinned, good-naturedly.

"I'm serious, Harry. I need some advice."

"All right, then. Shoot."

Ron glanced over his shoulder. "I mean, well, actually I'd like to get it from Luna, if that's okay? No offense, but she's a girl...I mean, a woman."

"I certainly hope so."

"Very funny. I mean, she's been pregnant before, she knows what's going on."

"Okay, sure."

"Thanks, mate. I appreciate it." Ron smiled, and for the first time he looked relaxed.

"Great, now what do you say we stop in and check on Neville? I'm sure he could use some reinforcements."

"Can you go on ahead? I kind of hoped to talk to Luna now."

"Now? Ron, the wedding starts in less than a half hour."

"I know, but it's an emergency. Really, Harry. You didn't see Hermione this morning." Ron's voice took on an urgent tone. "It was like she was - well, possessed, or had multiple personalities, or something."

Harry glanced at Luna, who seemed to sense his gaze and glanced at him with a soft smile on her lips; all the while she never broke off her conversation with Arthur.

"Go on, okay? Please?" Ron pressed. "I'll meet you later."

"All right, then, if it's that important."

**

Neville jumped at the sound of the tapping on the door. He turned away from the window. "Come in!" he said, his voice high and squeaky.

A shock of dark hair came through the door, and there was the reassuring face of Harry. "So, how are you doing? Just about ready?" he asked, slipping into the room. He shut the door behind him.

"Harry...what if it doesn't work out?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"You know the statistics on marriage these days - the divorce rate is so high, what is it now, fifty-five percent?" Neville began to pace, his heart beating madly in his chest. He loosened the collar on his shirt. Just a short time ago he'd been calm, anticipating the day that he'd been anticipating for what seemed like his entire adult life. Now that it was minutes away he couldn't think straight. He barely remembered his own name.

"Neville, what in blazes is wrong with you?" Harry approached his friend with concern.

"I - I don't know if I can do this, Harry."

"Do what?" Harry steered Neville to the bed and sat him down.

Neville's face was hot; his suit seemed to stick to his skin in very uncomfortable places. "Ginny. What - what if this really is the wrong decision?"

"Okay. Just breathe. You're nervous, that's all. Everyone gets cold feet right before they get married."

"Not you," Neville said, almost accusingly. "You've always said that it was the happiest day of your life, that you'd never felt better."

"That doesn't mean I wasn't nervous. Marriage is a big step, probably the biggest step you'll ever take."

"Did you worry about -you know, if it didn't work out?"

"Well, maybe a little. But not so much that I considered walking away from marrying the woman I love. Neville, you can't let that get in the way of your happiness with Ginny. Don't let fear ruin your future together."

Neville couldn't sit still; he bounced his knees, he looked all around the room, he scratched the back of his neck, his nose, and his chin. "I can't hurt her, Harry. I can't disappoint her. I love her too much."

"So what are you going to do, call off the wedding? Do you have any idea what that would do to Ginny, or worse, what she'd do to you?" Harry meant this as a joke, but the petrified look in Neville's eyes made him wish he hadn't said it.

"What if I just make a mess of things?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that, Neville."

"But what if it's not what she expected?"

"Neville, calm down. Breathe. I swear you'll be fine."

"How can you be sure?"

"Look at it this way. Remember how Ron was about Hermione? They've been together for years, and still no one thought Ron would ever get up the nerve to propose to her. He kept going on about how he didn't make enough money to support her, that he wouldn't be able to make her happy. But he did it anyway, and look at them now - married almost a year, and they're having a baby."

"Ron and Hermione are having a baby?" Neville forgot his own anxiety. "Wow, that's great."

"Yeah." Harry smiled, relieved to see Neville's shoulders finally loosen and the color return to his cheeks. "Proof that anything is possible as long as you don't live in fear. Come on, now. You can do it."

Neville nodded. "Okay, I get it."

"So there's no danger of you disappearing on us?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Great. Now let's get you married."

**

Once Ron had Luna to himself, he found that he didn't know quite where to begin. He realized rather inconveniently that he'd never had a private conversation with Luna in all the years he'd known her. Harry had always been around to serve as a buffer, or a go-between. But now Ron was on his own. He felt like he was at the top of a cliff, looking down at the water below. The choice was either to jump in or back down. Obviously he couldn't back down. Not if he expected to survive the next nine months.

Luna looked at him expectantly, hands folded at her front. "You look very handsome, Ronald," she said.

"Thanks." Ron cleared his throat. "Listen, I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Just be there for Hermione, that's all."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Huh?"

"That's what you're asking about, how to help Hermione."

"What, did Harry tell you about..."

Luna laid one hand gently on Ron's arm. "She's going through a very emotional time. All I can tell you is just be there for her, encouraging her, supporting her. She's feeling vulnerable."

Ron wanted to ask how on earth Luna knew what he was talking about, but at the same time it didn't surprise him. "Okay, sure."

"She's used to being in control - or at least under the illusion that she's in control. But she's not. You have to help her."

"By just being there for her."

"Yes, exactly." Luna smiled. "Help her to enjoy being pregnant. It's really quite an extraordinary experience, for both of you. There's nothing like it."

As Ron looked at her, he felt a sense of disappointment. He realized he'd expected something more tangible from Luna. Something he could really use. This wasn't the sort of advice one normally expected to receive from Luna, but he'd actually thought she might come up with one little pearl of wisdom, or at worst, a recipe for a special potion or something - for him, in particular. Just be there for her. But how is that going to help, if I don't know what the bloody hell I'm doing? Maybe he should just ask Harry.

"Okay. Well, thanks, then."

**

Ginny was so excited she could hardly breathe, even in the comfortable white linen dress. Dozens of guests seated in the rows of white wooden chairs turned to look at her as she stood at the head of the aisle on the arm of her father. Arthur Weasley stood so erect he almost looked like a soldier, dressed in his best soft gray suit with a pink carnation in the lapel.

The yard was magnificently decorated, having been transformed into an oasis of flowers and ribbons, with swans gliding serenely in the manmade pond just beyond the altar. A string quartet was assembled just off to the right side of the altar, playing soft music. Pale pink velvet drapery interspersed with sprays of pink and white carnations adorned the railings that demarcated the aisle. The air smelled of perfume and flowers and freshly cut grass; there also was the suggestion of rain, an indefinable smell - but it was hours away, at least. Even though she knew everyone there - well, most of them except for some of Neville's distant relatives - Ginny felt very exposed and vulnerable, similar to the way she felt when she had to speak in front of a large group of people. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and finally came to rest on Neville. She felt her shoulders relax, and she allowed a smile to cross her lips. He was watching her with complete confidence; she couldn't remember ever having seen him look so self-assured.

Ahead of her, Hermione had just completed her walk down the aisle, and joined the other bridesmaids at the altar. She took her place next to Luna. Then Ginny thought she saw Hermione wink at her.

The music changed to the Bridal March, and Arthur leaned close to her. "Are you ready?" he whispered.

Ginny nodded, unable to form any words. She kept her eyes straight ahead as they made their way down the aisle. If she made eye contact with anyone she knew, other than Neville or Hermione, she would probably start to cry or laugh, or maybe even faint. This applied especially to her mother. From the moment that Ginny, her mother and Hermione had Apparated into the guest quarters at the Longbottom estate, Molly Weasley had been dabbing her eyes with tissue and biting her quivering lower lip.

"My little baby girl," she said under her breath, when she thought Ginny couldn't hear.

Despite herself, Ginny felt tears start at the back of her eyes. She took a deep breath and held it as they passed the front row where her entire family was seated. Then Neville stepped forward and held out his hand for her, his fingers trembling slightly. Then her father took her hand and transferred her to her anxious groom. He stepped back, and then it was just she and Neville alone at the altar, standing together before the minister. Somewhere in the background she heard a woman stifle a sob, and she assumed it was her mother.

This was it.