Snapshots of a Wedding

---------------SNAPSHOTS OF A WEDDING

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to be as soon as possible."

-- Nora Ephron

[...Yes, I Will...]

The beach was always Harry's favourite place to be. There weren't many of them around but there was one in particular - Traveler's Rest Beach - which he preferred over all. It was quaint, peaceful and simply beautiful. It stretched for forty-five miles and was laden with secret coves and quiet inlays, perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Harry's voice broke through.

"Yes, it's simply gorgeous."

Ginny scanned the beach once again, taking notice of more than just the secret coves and the far stretch of sand and sea. She now realized that the water was a deep, dark blue mass, illuminated by the glimmering stars in the night sky. They were vastly numerous, twinkling as if greeting those below them. The moon was a full, round, darkened sun glowing against the black mass behind it. The waves of the water brushed rhythmically against the sand that was lit by this sparkling moonlight. They were surrounded by magnificent trees that swayed in a solemn dance with the wind. The shoreline was spotted with traces of Harry and Ginny's footsteps, marking the path they had taken to get to where they were now. It was a little settled area on the far corner of the beach, surrounded by large, smoothed rocks and elevated just enough that the horizon was easily and perfectly visible.

"I wanted to show you this spot from ages ago," Harry confessed, watching Ginny wiggle her toes in the cool sand. "I discovered it a few years back and it was just so peaceful and perfect." Ginny nodded. "I wanted to wait until the perfect time to show you it."

Ginny smiled and looked back at him. "And what makes tonight so perfect?"

"I'm here with you aren't I?" Harry kissed Ginny on her forehead and then the sensitive corner of her lips.

Ginny felt her face flush and said shyly, "You pride yourself on making me blush don't you?"

It was true. Harry new just what to say and what to do to make Ginny's cheeks turn that embarrassing shade of red and he constantly used that to his advantage.

"If that made you blush, I'm sure this will." Harry stood up, causing Ginny to straighten up, and then faced her.

"What are you..."

Harry placed a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Just listen."

He knelt down and looked at her, his emerald-green eyes intently focused on her enticingly brown ones. He needed her to be as quiet as a mouse. He felt that if she interrupted, he would lose his nerve or stumble in his speech. She had to sit still and listen to him in order to completely understand how he felt. The moment had to be perfect.

"Ginny," he started, feeling his voice slightly quiver with excitement as he spoke, "I have never been completely sure about anything in my entire life, until now. When I'm with you I feel so illuminated and alive. It's almost as if my life has only just started since meeting you and being with you. You take my breath away every time you walk into a room, every time you look at me, smile at me, or whenever you're just near me and I absolutely love that feeling. I love you so much and I want to continue to be with you, forever." Harry let out a breath and looked down, opening a white velvet box. "Ginevra Molly Weasley," he paused and looked back up into her eyes again before finishing with, "Will you marry me?"

It felt as though time had stopped. Ginny's eyes were misty with the threat of tears, yet her mouth was curved into a tiny, appreciative and loving smile. Harry felt the level of anticipation rise with every second that passed. His breathing slowed, his heart beat heavily against his chest and he strained his ears desperately to block out the sound of the waves surrounding them, for fear of missing the moment she answered.

Ginny blinked and quickly looked back at Harry, almost as if to make sure he was really kneeling in front of her, proposing. For a moment, it felt as though she had lost her voice from excitement. Then, when she swallowed and placed her hands over Harry's, her voice returned.

She smiled and finally whispered, "Of course I will."

It took Harry a few seconds to realize what she had just said. Once her kiss on his lips confirmed her answer, Harry scrambled to put the diamond-cut ring on Ginny's finger and then stood up, pulling her off the ground and into a grateful and passionate kiss.

The walk back was comfortably silent and they moved slowly and deliberately, their fingers intertwining as they did so. They were still trying to wrap their minds around the surrealistic atmosphere of what had just been established.

In Ginny's mind she just couldn't believe that the moment she had been anticipating for quite some time now had finally arrived. Harry was overjoyed that Ginny had said yes and was just as anxious as she was for their lives to take on a new journey.

[...Seven Months Later...]

Seven months passed by like nothing. It was now the early morning of Harry and Ginny's big day. They had opted for a mid-night, moonlit wedding so to keep true to the atmosphere and visuals of the night Harry proposed. This meant that the entire day was spent in anxiousness for the event.

All arrangements had been made and the day seemed as though it was going to run smoothly and perfectly. But as everyone knows, nothing is ever perfect or what it seems.

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Coming up... [...Dueling Mothers...]