I'm Glad He Crashed the Wedding

You could have heard a feather drop in the hall.

"You're here!" Ginny breathed.

"You expected me to break a promise, did you?"

Draco Malfoy casually strolled in.

Hisses of surprise and outrage flew across the room. Then simultaneously, five members of the Weasley family, including Ron and Mr Weasley, launched themselves onto the uninvited guest. Fully intent on attacking the intruder and sending him well on his way, other guests had to hold them back as they frantically tried to reach him and give them a piece of their mind.

"Get out of here now!"

"You...have to ruin...everything...slimy git...."

The din was deafening. Then:

"Shut up! He's here for me!"

The shrill words cut through the atmosphere like a blade. Everyone stared incredulously at the being who uttered them. It was Ginny.

Ginny felt the colour rise in her cheeks under the whole congregation's stare at her sudden outburst, but she was transfixed by the intruder, and she had so many questions.

"It's been so long."

"A promise is a promise," he drawled, clearly amused by the attempted attack on him.

An uncomfortable silence lingered in the air. Harry, feeling like he'd been left on the sidelines too long, started to draw his wand. But he felt a long slender limb stopping him - one that belonged to his bride-to-be.

"Oh, you can drop the chivalry, Potter, protecting your little darling. I'm here for a reason," Draco snapped, irritated that his time was being wasted like this.

"And that reason is?"

Harry felt his temper rising. He had duly played his part in Malfoy's eventual aquittal of war crimes, but yet his old enemy apparently still felt the insatiable need to try and make his life a misery, the ungrateful git.

The trademark Malfoy smirk crossed the Slytherin's face.

"Ask your fiancée."

Harry's stomach plummeted, and so did Ginny's. She knew for a long time she would have had to admit her past to him, but never...never like this. But she had to face the music now. Harry automatically turned to her, his face impassive, but his green eyes showing disbelief and demanding answers. She sighed heavily. The moment had come.

"Just before the war. You know, you broke up with me. I was...so depressed, I couldn't get over it. But he was there for me, he made it all better. And then he...he had to go to war with everyone else. It was like losing you all over again. But before he left he promised he would be back for me, when it was all over, when he had cleared his name, no matter what. I believed him. I never actually thought you'd pick me again after the war, so it felt like my only chance to be happy again."

It wasn't all of the story, in fact to Ginny it was hardly the first page of the story, but for Harry it was enough. He recoiled from her like a wounded animal. Draco, bored with the unfolding events, called out.

"Decision time Ginevra. I kept my end of the promise, you have the decision to honour yours. Take your pick. Me, or Potter."

Her stomach wrenched. Why had he done it in public like this? Though she couldn't blame him. His childhood was wasted at the hands of the evillest wizard in history, his parents were now raving mad, and after the endless hatred, prejudice, and frequent spells in Azkaban as society decided what his part was in the war he despised, it all made for a pretty twisted man.

Ginny glanced at Harry, who had remained silent in shock. She could tell he wanted to look expressionless, but again his eyes betrayed a sense of need. She could always tell his feelings by eyes, his Achilles' Heel. She had made her decision long ago.

The wizard's arms were warm and welcoming, like they had always been. Cries of shock reverberated through the room once again. Ginny looked back, to the spot she had been standing moments before next to her fiancé.

"I'm sorry Harry."

Oddly, shock was now the last thing on his mind. He just wanted to ask one question.

"Why?"

Ginny thought of a reason. Or a million reasons. She couldn't tell them all to him, so she told him the most fundamental one of them all.

"We...we were never really meant to be. I'm sure you felt that too. I was just a safe choice."

She smiled sadly at the revelation, the dark secret she had hidden away, even from herself, for years.

"Well, congratulations Potter, best wishes to you and your fami- wait, how very rude of me."

Draco smirked with satisfaction. Ginny looked dismayed by his insensitive choice of words, but there was hardly a moment to look back at Harry before her guest swung his arm around her and dissapparated.

The silence was so tense it was suffocating. Ms. Weasley chose to break it, choking through her tears.

"Oh Har-"

But he had already left.

----

Harry stood in his dressing room, surveying himself in the mirror. Without warning, he raised a hand and punched it. It shattered all over the floor, finally settling in a fine cloud of sparkling dust.

A safe choice? Ginny Weasley? She was insane. His first ever admirer, the girl he had dreamed about constantly since his fifth year at Hogwarts, the one he gave up so much for, a safe choice? His heart burned with a force he hadn't experienced since his near death experience at the end of the War. He needed her there with him, and she had gone and trashed him like a bored toddler with a novel plaything.

The broken pieces of the mirror playfully reflected the sunlight streaming in through the window, mocking him. He picked up a shard of broken glass and moved it around aimlessly, trying to ignore the stabbing pain from his sliced hand, when he caught sight of Hermione behind him.

They stood in silence, Harry refusing to turn around and acknowledge her presence. After an eternity, Hermione's quavering voice fluttered through the air.

"Harry?"

Harry didn't respond. He didn't want to. The last person he wanted to talk to was his Hogwarts best friend, when she had almost not bothered to attend his wedding. She tried again. So he turned on her.

"What, have you come to offer your condolences? I don't want them. I don't want to talk to any of you. Especially you. What do you know about the two of us? You never cared!"

Harry's outburst rung through the air. Hermione looked hurt.

"Yes I did. More than you think, actually," she whispered.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not in the mood for mind games Hermione."

So he never felt it. She bit back her tears.

"Well, Ginny noticed how I didn't want to help out with the wedding. So she came to talk to me. And she...she sort of let it slip out how she wasn't so sure about it all happening any more, and how...how she didn't trust me around you any more."

"Why?" It was the second time Harry had asked that question that day, but this time it was out of curiosity.

"Oh Harry, just think!" Her eyes began to sting. Her best friend could be so thick.

Realisation hit him like a tonne of bricks. Hermione's shock, her artificial happiness when he announced the engagement, her reluctance to participate in the festivities was from jealousy, but not the way he had imagined.

"Hermione I never real-"

"Well it doesn't matter now does it?" she retorted defensively.

Even with her short reply, he suddenly felt an enormous weight lifted from his stomach. The pain was still burning, but his body felt oddly light. He smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry."

Hermione's hurt expression become one of surprise. She wasn't expecting that reply. He continued.

"There's no spell for mending a broken heart..."

She snorted, trying to wipe away the tears gathering in her eyes. Way to state the obvious.

"...but at least I know you're here to help me anyway."

The corners of her mouth twitched and she let out a dejected laugh. She never thought admitting her love for him would be like this. She imagined happiness, and laughing, and maybe some nice flowers. But this would have to do. There was still some hope.

The two friends embraced warmly. Hermione searched Harry's eyes for his approval, and he nodded that he was ready. She slipped her hand in his as they returned to the church.

Ms Weasley's sobs had fledged into full wails, while her family was gathered around her, trying to comfort the woman. Her voice hitched when she saw that Harry had returned, and she hurried to him, her apologies already forming on her lips. But Harry held up a hand to stop her.

"No, don't apologise."

"But...but it was so...so horrible...and with him."

The venom in her tone was difficult to disguise.

"No Ms Weasley, Ginny did what was right."

The eavesdropping audience were stunned.

"I was never actually there for her. I was too busy, fighting against the dark side, keeping myself to myself to protect others, to actually take time to get to know her properly as a person. She chose the person who promised her the best he could offer, and I can't resent that. Time will heal all wounds, so forgive her, because that's what I will do."

Mrs Weasley looked incredulous. But Harry's decision couldn't be helped. So she hugged him, dampening his dress robes with her tears.

"You were always such a lovely understanding boy, Harry."

----

"Well isn't she a beautiful little baby!"

Ms Weasley cooed over the gurgling Mary Granger while Ron tickled her feet. Hermione giggled and squeezed Harry's hand. It had been a whirlwind three years for them, and now they were finally settling down together. Harry had firmly put his foot down on the idea of marriage, and while he joked it was because he didn't want a repeat occurrence of the last one, Hermione knew better. She was comfortable as it was anyway.

Ginny lingered awkwardly in the doorway, smiling at the happy couple. Harry ran into her some few months after the botched wedding, and while she expected to be brushed off coldly, he politely offered his re-acquaintance. He was such a gracious gentleman. It was still slightly tense between them though. And her boyfriend was certainly not invited in this household.

Harry felt the light squeeze and smiled at his happy daughter. There were some very rocky moments getting here, but he had finally got the family he always wanted, but never had. And this time he was sure it was a dead certain match. He wouldn't say he was glad but, he reflected, it might not have been that bad that Malfoy had gone and crashed the wedding.