The Wedding Date

Ginny sighed as she read the invitation she had just received by owl post:

You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Mr. Harry Potter and Miss Hermione Granger

On May 7 at 6 o'clock in the evening

At the groom's residence in Godric's Hollow.

Please R.S.V.P. by April 15.

Muggle black tie (very formal wear) is requested.

(This means tuxedos for Wizards and evening gowns for Witches.)

It seemed like everyone was getting married these days. Since Voldemort defeat, two years ago, it seemed like I got a wedding invitation every couple of months. Even Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall - Albus and Minerva, I mean - old habits die-hard - got married. Sure took them long enough.

Anyway, what was really getting on my nerves was going to all these weddings alone. Almost everyone I knew from Hogwarts was either married, engaged, or in a committed, long-term relationship. Even Ron. He's been dating Luna Lovegood for almost a year now. I think that the only people left unattached in either Ron's year or my year were Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bulstrode; Millicent Bulstrode because she's still ugly and muscular, and Draco Malfoy because he just didn't want to. Everyone expected that he would marry Pansy Parkinson, but he ditched her after his father went to Azkaban at the end of his fifth year, and she was now married to Theodore Nott.

For that matter, it was expected up until the middle of my fifth year that I would marry Harry after I graduated. We even dated for a few months, while Ron and Hermione dated. (Ron was thrilled, both because he was dating Hermione and because I was dating Harry. I think he thought that no one but the best deserved his little sister, and Harry was the best.)

Well, Hermione broke up with Ron, saying that he was too immature, and Harry dumped me as soon as he could find me after they were officially not a couple. I'm still bitter about the fact that he dumped me, then turned around and asked Hermione to be his girlfriend ten seconds later. I was really mad at Harry (it wasn't Hermione's fault that he dumped me for her) and didn't talk to him for months, but we've made up since then. Mostly.

Well, there was no way I was going to Harry's wedding without a date. It just wasn't going to happen. And I have to go. Harry's like a part of the family; the wedding amounts to a major family event. So I needed to find a date. The question is, whom can I bring? Well, I narrowed it down a bit. I had to know him; I have to be able to get along with him for a few hours; he must, absolutely must be hot; and he has to be a wizard, for obvious reasons. Well, and he can't have a wife, fiancée, girlfriend, or be gay and out of the closet.

So, this might be a bit difficult. Most of the guys I knew were wither in a committed relationship or are really geeky, or both.

Well, actually, I thought I knew someone who met the requirements. Draco Malfoy. He was hot, no one could deny that. He's definitely a wizard. I knew him, of course. We can probably get along for a few hours. He got more polite after his fifth year, when his father wasn't around any more to encourage him to be mean to Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Muggle-borns. By his seventh year, he and Harry could actually speak civilly to each other. They even worked on some of their assignments for Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class together.

I wasn't sure if he was in a relationship or not at the moment, though. I thought for a minute about who would know all about the social lives of anyone who was anyone in Wizarding Great Britain and came up Lavender Thomas, nee Brown. Even though she'd married Dean, she was still the nosiest witch in Great Britain, and that's saying something.

I wrote a quick note to Lavender, asking if Draco had been seeing anyone recently, then sent the note off with my owl, Hermes. Now I just had to wait.

~

Lavender's reply arrived the next day. It turned out that Draco hasn't dated anyone for months. Well, I suppose that's that, I thought. So I invited him out for tea tomorrow and ask him to come with me, just as a friend. Not as a date, date, but as a wedding date.

Dear Draco,

Hey, it's Ginny Weasley. I need to talk to you about something. Maybe we can meet for tea tomorrow at the Leaky Cauldron, say, at three o'clock? Owl me back to let me know if you can come.

See you,

Ginny

~

He was coming. Now I just had to figure out what to wear. What do you wear to ask a hot guy, who used to hate your family, who you haven't seen in years, to go to the wedding of his former enemy as a friendly date?

~

I decided on my cutest jeans, a white blouse, subtle jewelry, and light makeup. I was at the Leaky Cauldron, waiting. We were supposed to meet at three o'clock and it was two fifty-seven, and I was starting to get nervous. What if he doesn't come? No, I won't think about that. He'll be here. Two fifty-eight. Still not there. Two fifty-nine. Not there. Three o'clock.

He opened the door and walked in just as the grandfather clock in the corner stuck three o'clock. How like a Malfoy, to be exactly on time.

I stood up and beckoned him. He walked over and we sat. I was so nervous. Why did I invite him to meet me? Why? WHY? I was screaming in my head. After what felt like an eternity, I found my voice.

"Hello, Draco." I thanked god that my voice didn't shake. He looked totally hot. He was wearing tailored black pants and a white button-down shirt, no tie. He looked great. Suddenly, I could feel every freckle on my face, every bit of frizz in my hair. His hair was perfect; it never could be anything less.

"Hello, Ginny." OH. MY. GOD. Even his voice is perfect! I screamed in my head.

"You're looking well." I sounded so formal!

"Thank you. So are you." I blushed. Even though I looked a lot prettier than I had when I was at Hogwarts - who didn't? - I still hadn't gotten used to being told that I looked nice. I still always felt like they were saying it because it was polite or they had to.

"Thank you." We were silent. A waiter brought our tea over and we sipped in silence.

"So, Ginny, what have you been doing since the war ended?"

"I'm studying to be an Auror. I'll be finished soon, since I fought in The War. And I can see you smirking at me. I know, I know, 'typical Gryffindor' ".

"Well, it is."

"I know, but that doesn't mean you have to smirk at me like that. What about you, what have you been doing with yourself?"

"I have a desk job with Gringotts now. I was working as a curse breaker in Egypt until a few months ago, but they decided I was too good to work in the field," Draco said, seemingly serious, but with a hint of a smile.

"You still have a big head, I see."

He shrugged. "Are we going to talk about why you asked me to meet you here, or are we going to sit here and make small talk all day?" he asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"I suppose you heard about Harry and Hermione's wedding?"

He sighed, but acceded to the abrupt change of topic, "Who hasn't?"

"Well, I was invited."

"No, really?" he asked sarcastically. He was definitely getting annoyed.

"Do you remember when Harry and Hermione started dating in your sixth year?"

"Ron and Hermione were dating, and you were dating Harry. All I know is that one day, your brother and Hermione were holding hands in a decidedly non-platonic way, as were you and Harry, and the next, Harry and Hermione were all over each other."

"Well, Hermione broke up with Ron because she said he was too immature - which he was and still is - and then Harry broke up with me, turned around, walked up to Hermione, and asked Hermione to be his girlfriend."

"Now I see. You don't have a boyfriend and you don't want to go to the wedding of The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Dump-You dateless. You decided to write me because I'm the hottest guy still unattached."

I blushed again. I hadn't blushed this much since I had sent Harry that singing Valentine to Harry in my first year. "That and Harry still isn't exactly fond of you."

"That's certainly true," he agreed. "Our relationship may have improved considerably since fifth year, but we will never be friends.

"So, will you come?" I asked, nervous.

"Of course. I love an opportunity to annoy Harry. When is it?"

"Saturday, May 7, at 6 o'clock."

"Where?"

"In Godric's Hollow. Harry built a mansion for Hermione where his parent's house used to be. That's where the wedding is going to be."

"Excellent. I'll meet you at your flat at five o'clock, then. We'll Apparate in, of course. Oh, and by the way - we should act like we're in love. It'll work better that way. Is it Muggle formal wear or dress robes?"

"Muggle formal wear, so a tuxedo for you. And don't wear anything pink, it'll clash with my hair." So would red, but Draco would never wear red.

"I would never wear anything pink, or red, for that matter. They look terrible with my coloring." I smiled. Still as vain as ever.

~

It finally came to the day of the wedding. It was four thirty and I had half an hour until Draco got there. I really hope we can pull this off, I wished fervently. Mum'll freak when she sees whom I'm bringing. Draco may have redeemed himself in the War, but she still didn't like him.

I couldn't wait to see Harry's face when he saw Draco at his wedding. He was probably expecting me to show up alone and gloomy. Of course, I would have been, if Draco hadn't agreed to come.

It was 4:45. I hoped that Draco wouldn't be late.

Oh, lord, I hope Draco got the tuxedo right. It had just occurred to me that he might not ever have worn a tuxedo. No, everything's going to be fine, I reassured myself, Draco's so vain, he'll have found out and bought the best tux he could find.

Four fifty-nine. Where was he?

The doorbell rang. Right on time, how punctual of him.

He looked fantastic. The tuxedo was perfect, and so was everything else, of course.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes. Let's go." I thanked God that I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

~

Godric's Hollow is a small village. It's mostly magical, with the families of some Muggle-born witches and wizards living there, along with a few Muggle families that had lived there for generations, all of whom know about the Wizarding World. It's one of the few places where magical and non-magical people coexist peacefully, with each aware of the other's presence.

Both the reception and the wedding were being held at Harry's recently built mansion. Hermione had mentioned that she had always wanted a big house and Harry had taken her wish as a request for him to take care of it. He could certainly afford it.

We Apparated into the front hall of the mansion, and it was beautiful. Harry had hired a professional decorator and let Hermione work with the decorator to pick out everything. The decorations in the whole house were very old-fashioned, with lots of cream walls and dark woods.

The wedding itself was actually being held outside, near what would become Harry's Quidditch pitch. There was a gazebo that had been built just for the wedding.

"You look very beautiful tonight," said Draco. I began to blush again. I wasn't used to being complimented, as I've already said. However, I knew I did look nice tonight. I had my hair, nails, and makeup done professionally. I still can't get my hair to behave all the time, but the hairdresser managed to get it into a smooth French twist. My dress was dark purple, which I knew was my best color.

"Thank you. You look very handsome tonight," I said, the blush beginning to subside.

"Don't I always?"

"I mean you look particularly handsome tonight. And don't swell your head anymore, it's already big enough."

Then he was silent.

We were one of the first couples there. It was just family right now. Ron was pacing; he was the best man, I expected. Mum was here, fussing over the flower arrangements and anything else she could get her hands on. Fred and George were sitting with their wives, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson. They were behaving, for once. Dad was in the second seat from the aisle, next to the twins, keeping an eye on them just in case. On the other side of the twins were Bill and Charlie. Bill had Fleur Delacour, who he had married the month after the war was over, in a small ceremony presided over by Albus. Charlie didn't have a date; taking care of dragons isn't a career that lends itself well to romance.

Everyone was sitting in the front left row of chairs. We were the only family Harry has. (Except for the Dursleys, but I doubted that they would be coming.)

Hermione's parents were there, too. Hermione's mum was helping Mum fuss over the flower arrangements, and her dad was wringing his hands and wandering aimlessly, much like Ron was doing.

No one had noticed us yet.

Draco had begun looking at me oddly while I had been gathering my courage to go forward with this.

"Well, let's go say hello to everyone, shall we?" Not waiting for an answer, I led Draco down the center aisle.

"Hello, everyone." Everyone turned and gaped at my date. Ron even stopped pacing. Mr. And Mrs. Granger turned, too. They, however, didn't understand the significance of the blond man standing at my side.

"Nice to see you again, Mr. And Mrs. Granger," I said, smiling cheerfully at Hermione's parents.

"Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, Mr. And Mrs. Granger, everyone," said Draco politely. They were still gaping.

"Ginny, . . . what is . . . what is he doing here?" asked Mum, still glaring.

"Mum, he's my date," I said, stating the obvious. "Be nice, he won't say anything mean, will you, Draco?"

"No, of course not, Ginny," he said, acting as though he was shocked I'd even suggest something like that.

"Oh . . . okay, dear. Oh, and you need to check your wand, dear. Harry and Hermione went ahead and invited representatives of all the major wizarding publications in the world to come and report on it. So we're checking everyone's wands. There's always the chance that a former Death Eater might come as one of the reporters to try to kill Harry. We're only letting the wedding party to keep their wands. Draco needs to check his, too," she said, avoiding speaking directly to Draco and pointing to a box near the house.

We checked our wands and I sat next to Charlie, near the end of the front row, with Draco next to me. Draco was the fourth seat in from the end.

We spent the next half an hour making small talk and criticizing the outfits of the arriving guests. At five forty-five, there was a small commotion near the house. We turned and saw Mum trying to stop three people from proceeding to the seats. There was a woman and two men, one about the woman's age and the other much younger. The woman was thin and bony, while both the men where bulky. The woman and the older man, presumably her husband looked about Mr. and Mrs. Granger's age, while the younger man, presumably their son, looked about Ron's age.

I gasped. "Oh my god." I recognized them. Harry's aunt, uncle, and cousin. They must have been. They fit the description.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," I told Draco, and hurried to talk some sense into Mum. I wanted Draco and I to be the scandal of the wedding, not Mum's refusing entrance to Harry's aunt and her family.

"He's our nephew and we have a right to be here!" shouted the older man, presumably Vernon Dursley.

"After the way you've treated him? He's closer to being my child than he is to being yours!" retaliated Mum, furious.

"My nephew invited us. Here's our invitation," said the woman, Petunia Dursley, extending one identical to the one I had been sent.

"A mistake, I'm sure," said Mum, still mad. "Please leave."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to hear it from my nephew himself. After all, this is his wedding," said Petunia Dursley, timidly.

"Mum, let's just go," whined the younger man, Dudley Dursley.

"No, Dudley, we're staying. Harry's family, we're going to stay for his wedding," rebuked Petunia.

"Mum, they are Harry's family, and they've been invited. It would be rude to make them leave, and, besides, do we really want to borrow Harry with this?" My words seemed to bring Mum back to her senses.

"Yes, dear, you're right," she told me, then addressed the Dursleys. "You will have to share the front row with my family. We're Harry's family of his heart, and we're not moving because of you."

The Dursleys nodded. I smiled.

"Follow me. I will show you where to sit," I said.

I sat them in the seats at the end of the front row, next to Draco. When Petunia moved to sit next to Draco, Vernon pulled her back protectively and glared at Draco, who looked amused. Vernon sat next to Draco instead, with Petunia on his other side, and Dudley on her other side.

"I sat back down, and Draco leaned over and asked, "What's up with them?"

"Harry's Muggle relatives. The Dursleys. The uncle and the cousin are afraid of anything magical. The aunt is jealous of magic."

"Ah. That explains the shuffling."

I suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie with Draco. It was very strong. He was here with me to annoy Harry and I wanted him here to make me look strong at the wedding of "The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Dump-Me" for the woman who was now marrying him. Unexpectedly, I might actually get a friend out of this.

"This may seem a little late, but can you dance?" I asked Draco. I had always assumed he could, but it had just occurred to me that he might not.

"Of course I can dance, Ginny," he snapped, a hint of the old Malfoy showing through. I half expected him to call me "Weasley".

"Excellent."

"Why, do you want to wow everyone at the party? Steal the spotlight from the bride and groom? Show off your date?"

"Yes."

"Sounds good to me. It'll annoy Harry and that's still my favorite hobby."

I nodded as the music started to play, signifying that the bridal party was about to start down the aisle.

Hermione had five bridesmaids, none of which I knew well. I had just met most of them at the bridal shower a month earlier.

Dani came first. Dani was American. Hermione had met her when she visited Salem, Massachusetts, to learn more about American witch-hunts. Dani was in charge of overseeing Salem to make sure no evidence of real magic was found there.

Dani came down the aisle with James, a friend of hers that she had introduced to Hermione and Hermione had, in turn, introduced to Harry. Unexpectedly, Harry and James became good friends. It seemed like James' slightly strange, wild personality complimented Harry's practicality, just as Dani's craziness complimented Hermione's tendency to follow the rules.

Alex, a Canadian friend of Hermione's, was next. She was now living in Britain, and working for the Ministry. That was how she and Hermione had met. She came down the aisle with Seamus, now engaged to Parvati.

The third bridesmaid was Katie, who had been in Ravenclaw and was a year older than Hermione. They had met while in Hogwarts, but had grown close while working to get their degrees from the Wizarding University at Oxford, which was actually part of Oxford University. She was on the arm of Neville, who was engaged to Hannah Abbott.

The fourth bridesmaid was Anastasia, who Hermione had met through the Ministry. Anastasia, as a Muggle-born American witch, had not attended a wizarding school but had learned from a witch in the area who was willing to tutor her. As a result of going to Muggle school and being taught magic, she had gained a unique understanding of the two worlds and had become the President of the United State's liaison to the Wizarding World as a whole. She and Hermione had met when Anastasia had gone to the Wizarding University at Oxford for a year to take an advanced course in Wizard/Muggle Relations, which wasn't offered anywhere in the United States. Anastasia walked down the aisle with Brendan, who she had met through Harry and was now dating. (Brendan and Harry had met during The War.)

The maid of honor, Carol, came next. She had been a year ahead of Hermione, in Gryffindor. They were both absorbed by work in school and had often studied together in the evenings, while Harry and Ron were playing wizard chess or Exploding Snap. The best man was Ron, of course.

All four bridesmaids were dressed in ankle-length dresses made of silk, in shades of blue. Carol stood out, as maid of honor, by wearing the darkest blue, almost a midnight blue. Their bouquets were made of white roses, to match the flower arrangements.

Hermione was radiant. Her dress was simple, white, and made of silk. It flared only slightly from the waist, with a small train of no more than a foot. Her veil was long and elaborate, made of stretched silk and embroidered with gold thread. It was longer than her train, and extended behind her for at least six feet. Two tiny, pure white Scops owls carried the train of her veil. Her bouquet was made of deep blue lilies. Her hair was loose and fell in gentle curls. Her makeup was minimal, and enhanced her features with no overpowering colors or harsh lines.

Harry and Ernie Macmillan, who was officiating, stood in the gazebo, waiting.

Ernie, now fairly high up in the Ministry and still as pompous as ever, was using the Muggle wording, at the request of Harry and Hermione, which differed only slightly from the wording used in the Wizarding World.

Hedwig, who was getting old and would have to be retired soon, served as the ring bearer. Very few people of our generation had children any older than a year or so at that point, as The War had only ended two years before and no one could risk being made vulnerable by children, or could spare the time to care for them.

The ceremony was beautiful, and Mum was crying by the end. The only annoying thing was the flashbulbs going off every few seconds, courtesy of the large gaggle of reporters and photographers at the back of the lawn. The happy couple certainly wouldn't lack for wedding photos.

Harry and Hermione then walked down the aisle to the door into the house, where the reception was being held. Just before they crossed the threshold, Harry ceremoniously picked Hermione up and carried her into the house, not stumbling in the slightest.

Harry had built a large ballroom for the reception. That night, it was arrayed in white, deep blue, and gold. It was magnificent.

Due to very expensive custom charms, each guest saw a golden sign floating over his or her assigned chair. Draco and I were at the second table, with the Dursleys, Bill, Fleur, and Charlie.

The setup was similar to that at the Yule Ball, in regards to food. There was a small menu at each place setting and you ordered your meal by speaking to your plate. We had to explain the concept to the Dursleys, and both men seemed reluctant, although Petunia seemed fairly comfortable with the idea. However, they lost the majority of their reluctance when they saw the food that was being served.

Most of the tables were fairly lively; ours was by far the most subdued. The Dursleys weren't talking, of course, and neither were Charlie or Bill. They were reluctant to talk to Draco, I suppose. Fleur was silent, as well; she probably felt that she shouldn't speak, since Bill wasn't talking and it was his family.

When the meal was finally over, the speeches were made, and the cake was cut, the band began playing. At this point, Petunia Dursley went and spoke to Harry for a moment, after which she and her husband and son left.

The first song was "Lean on Me," and Harry led Hermione onto the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

After they danced, the band started playing a faster song. I pulled Draco onto the dance floor and we led the next dance. I noticed Harry glaring at Draco and I smiled.

Between songs, Draco asked me if I could swing dance. I said yes, confused, and Draco started swing dancing. I joined him, of course, and grinned. People started to fall back to watch us. I had no idea that he would have something like this in mind.

After a few songs of swing dancing, we sat down, exhausted. We were grinning in triumph. Talk about stealing the show!

"I've always wanted to steal the spotlight from Harry," mused Draco, "but I guessed that it would be at his own wedding."

"I know! Isn't it great? This'll be the gossip of the year!" I declared. "Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend and his antagonist going to his wedding together and then swing dancing and stealing the show!"

"We should go congratulate the bride and groom," announced Draco, grinning. "After all, we're some of the only people not dancing."

"I suppose this is as good a time as any," I said, sighing.

Harry and Hermione were taking a break from dancing, too, sitting at their table and talking quietly.

"Hi, Hermione. Hello, Harry." My voice, warm when addressing Hermione, became cool and formal when speaking to Harry. Harry and Hermione stood. "You've met my date."

"We've met." Harry's voice was as cold and formal as mine had been. "Hello, Malfoy."

Harry's forgiveness of Draco seemed to evaporate in the wake of the swing dancing. Draco stiffened beside me.

Hermione put a hand on Harry's arm. "Hello, Draco, Ginny." Her voice was warm, as if to counter Harry's cool formality. She always had been a more forgiving person than Harry, even if Draco had never formally apologized to her. He was too proud.

We were silent. I broke the awkward silence.

"Well, it was a beautiful wedding. Oh, and I love your dress, Hermione."

"Thanks. Your dress is beautiful, too.

"Oh, thank you." I could see that both men wanted to leave us to our "girl talk", but didn't want to be on their own together. Another silence fell over us.

"Well, Draco, let's go get drinks, then dance some more. Goodnight, Harry, Hermione."

Draco got a Mai Tai with an umbrella, and I got an apple martini. We drank, then got back to dancing, swing dancing intermittently, as well as getting drinks every once in a while.

By midnight, everyone was getting either rather tired, or rather drunk, or both, and it was time to send the happy couple off on their honeymoon. We formed a double line outside, leading from the door to the luxury broom that they would ceremonially depart on.

We threw confetti and rice (Luna threw a bit of popcorn as well) on the couple as they ran to their broom. After they were out of sight, they would Apparate to Greece, where they were taking their honeymoon.

Draco and I were half-drunk by this point, just drunk enough to feel pleasantly intoxicated and to loosen our tongues.

"You know, I had a crush on you in my sixth year," I said as we walked leisurely to the box of wands.

"I though you were beautiful the first time I saw you," admitted Draco. "In Flourish and Blotts, the beginning of my second year. You remember?"

"That's one of the few things I remember from my first year," I said. I wasn't exactly fond of the memory. That's how I got The Diary.

He seemed to remember then. "Sorry. Didn't mean to remind you."

"I actually had a crush on you, too. In my seventh year," he said.

"I wish we'd admitted our mutual crushes then. It would have been nice to have a boyfriend."

"Yeah," he agreed. We fell silent.

"I actually still have a little crush on you," I admitted.

"Yeah? Well, I happen to have a little crush on you, too," said Draco playfully. I threw my arms around his neck.

"I think we need to discuss this. Over dinner on Friday, maybe?" continued Draco.

"I agree. At eight?"

"Sounds good. But for right now, we need to Apparate home." While we had been talking, we had retrieved our wands and were now standing in the yard a few meters away from the box.

"I think I need you to escort me home," I said playfully.

"I think I do,"

We Apparated to the door of my apartment.

"Goodnight," I said softly, and kissed him. He returned the kiss and then said, "Goodnight."

I slipped inside and then went to bed and had lovely romantic dreams.

FIN