Rose Among the Thorns

Chapter 17- Of the Wedding, part I

Daylight had begun to filter through the curtains when Charlie awoke the next morning. He rolled over and put a pillow over his head. Then he remembered. It was his wedding day.

"Merlin's balls!" he shouted, throwing off the bedcovers and running into his bathroom. He leaped into the shower and after a quick scrub, he toweled off and Apparated to the Burrow.

"Morning, mum, dad," he said, entering the kitchen and kissing his mother on the cheek.

"Good morning, dear," his mother replied, pushing him down into a kitchen chair. "Have a spot of breakfast."

She loaded his plate with, ham, tomatoes, sausages, bacon, eggs, and toast, then sat a steaming bowl of porridge next to it.

"I'm not that hungry, mum," he said with a laugh.

"Nonsense, Charlie, we won't have time for lunch, so you'd better eat up," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Merlin knows when I'll be able to feed you breakfast again," she said, turning back to the stove and wiping her eyes.

Mr. Weasley winked conspiratorially at his son, gesturing at his own heavily laden plate. Charlie realized what the fuss was about. He, Charlie, was the last of the Weasleys to marry. He was the last to finally and completely fly the coop.

In the end, Charlie decided to appease his distraught mother and eat everything she had given him. He regretted it later as he felt as though he might burst open and splatter his breakfast all over the garden.

The rest of his family arrived later that morning, and all of them were force fed heaping amounts of breakfast as well. Afterwards they went out into the garden and helped put the finishing touches on the decorations.

"Where's the blushing bride?" Fred asked Harry, who had arrived without Ginny.

"At her flat, her parents flew in from Brisbane earlier in the week," Harry replied.

Charlie's overfed stomach knotted. He'd barely met her parents. Hermione had said that they liked him, but he'd hardly spoken to them at Harry and Ginny's wedding. Now he was going to be part of their family.

"Don't worry, they'll love you," Bill said, patting his brother on the shoulder.

"How d'you?" Charlie began.

"You turned the same shade of green I did when I found out I'd be meeting Fleur's parents," he replied with a grin.

"Right," Charlie answered. He tried to take his mind off of meeting Hermione's parents.

~~~~~~~

Hermione sat at her kitchen table with her mother.

"How did you know that you loved dad?" Hermione asked.

"I know it sounds silly, but, it's one of those things you just...know," her mother answered. " It was on our second date. After he dropped me off I daydreamed about the future; our wedding, children, I'd sit for hours thinking about the life we'd have together."

Mrs. Granger looked pointedly at her daughter. "Do you love him, Hermione?"

Hermione stared down at her tea. "This whole...marriage was sprung on us. If it hadn't been for Charlie, I would have had to marry a foul boy I went to school with. We've only got to know each other in the past two weeks, and we have a bit in common but I'm not sure it's enough. He's a wonderful man, but..." she trailed off.

"But the look on your face tells a different story," her mother said softly.

Hermione looked up at her mother in surprise.

"When you talk about him, you glow," Mrs. Granger said.

"Oh...I...really?" Hermione stammered.

Her mother smiled and leaned across the table to take her hand. "You might have a slower start than your dad and I, but I truly think this marriage, you and Charlie is going to work."

"You really think so?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes, I really think so," her mother replied, blinking back tears. She stood. "Now let's get you ready before your father wakes up and becomes a blubbering mess," her mother said with a laugh.

"Oh, mum," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

*******

Charlie was back in his old room, sitting on his old bed, staring at his old Quiddich posters. It was three in the afternoon; the ceremony wasn't for another two hours. His dress robes were hanging in his closet. He had fled the kitchen moments ago when his mother had attacked his hair with a wet comb. Charlie heaved a heavy sigh and began taking off his boots, socks, and jeans. He pulled his Norwegian Ridgeback t-shirt over his head and stared at his dress robes. After a moment he began to put them on. After dressing he sat back down on the bed. There was a soft knock on the door.

"Mind if I come in?" his father asked from the other side of the door.

"Sure, dad."

Mr. Weasley, also wearing his dress robes, entered and shut the door behind him. He sat down next to his second eldest son on the bed.

"Everything all right?" he asked in a polite, conversational tone.

"Yeah, dad. I'm fine," Charlie answered.

"You are?" Mr. Weasley said, raising one eyebrow. "I remember the day I married your mother. I was a complete wreck. I was sick several times, and I caught Aunt Muriel's curtains on fire. And one of her lace tablecloths as well." He smiled fondly at his reminiscence.

"You were in love with mum, but you were still nervous?" Charlie asked skeptically.

"'Course I was, most men are nervous on their wedding day," his father replied. "It was during the First War, you know, and your mum and I were young, not even Ginny's age. We sort of jumped into marriage as both our parents thought we were too young, and we probably were. The thing you've got to realize, Charlie, is that marriage, even though you love the other person, isn't easy. You have to try very hard to make it work."

"Well that was a great help, dad," Charlie said, his heart sinking.

His father smiled. "All I'm trying to say is that it's going to take time to get used to being married. But don't worry, both you and Hermione have good heads on your shoulders, you'll be fine."

"But what if she doesn't," Charlie hesitated. "What if she never..."

"Loves you?" his father replied. "Charlie, son, I don't think you'll have to worry about that." Mr. Weasley stood and stretched. "Come on, your mother's getting worried."

Charlie stood and followed his father downstairs, hoping that he was right.

~~~~~~~

Ginny arrived at Hermione's flat in the early afternoon to help Hermione get ready. They had decided to dress at the Burrow later that evening. Together Mrs. Granger and Ginny smoothed Hermione's hair into a low bun, leaving a few curls around her face. Hermione's father remained out in the living room watching rugby on the television. After donning his suit he accepted Ginny's offer to side-Apparate him to the Burrow for some male company.

"Dad's got him out in the garden talking about the Underground," Ginny said when she returned to Hermione's flat.

"I remembered that your father was very interested in non-magical machinery," Mrs. Granger said as she finished touching up her own hair.

The three of them had tea and chatted for the next few minutes until they received a Floo call.

"Ginny!" Harry said, his face appearing in Hermione's fireplace. "Lavender and the girls want to know when you're coming, they're already here."

"Why couldn't she call herself?" Hermione asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "She didn't want to ruin her hair."

Ginny laughed. "Typical Lavender. We're on our way, Harry, dear, don't fret."

"I'm not the one who's fretting, I was the first person they spotted they could drag into the kitchen and call you," Harry replied impatiently. He turned around and muttered something to the person standing behind him. "Mrs. Weasley wants to know what colour Hermione's mum's dress is so they don't 'clash'."

"It's beige," Hermione replied. "Don't worry, Harry, we're leaving right now."

Harry left the fireplace and Hermione and Ginny picked up their dresses. Hermione side-Apparated her mother to the Burrow's front garden, Mrs. Weasley bursting through the front door to meet them.

"It's lovely to see you again, Mrs. Granger," she said, shaking Hermione's mother's hand.

"Call me Helen," her mother replied. The two mothers linked arms and went into the kitchen, leaving Ginny and Hermione still standing out in the garden.

"Good to see you too, mum," Ginny said, miming a hug.

Hermione laughed. "We'd better get upstairs."

"Before Charlie sees you," Ginny replied. "Bad luck to see the bride and all that."

"Ridiculous superstitions," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

They slid through the crowded kitchen and mounted the stairs to Ginny's room. Once inside, they dropped their dresses on the bed. Hermione could see her father in deep discussion with Mr. Weasley. The garden was getting crowded; half of the guests had flaming red hair. She spotted Hagrid, a violet haired Teddy Lupin with Tonks' mother, and the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt as well.

"Well, we've got an hour and a half hours before the big plunge," Ginny said, breaking Hermione's repose.

"Right," Hermione replied. She pulled her wedding dress from its bag and hung it on Ginny's door. She stared at it for a moment.

"You all right, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to sound convincing.

"Spill it," Ginny demanded.

Hermione sighed. "Do you think I'm... that it's...am I wrong to marry Charlie when I dated Ron as well?"

Ginny looked at her thoughtfully. "I wondered when you were going to ask that." She sat down next to Hermione on the bed. "I've heard mum and dad talk about it, and they know you're not doing this with the wrong intentions. We all know that you loved Ron, and that you're marrying Charlie because of that bastard Malfoy and his goon Goyle."

"So it isn't...wrong?"

"You didn't have a choice," Ginny told her, taking her hand.

"But what if..." Hermione trailed off, receiving a quizzical look from Ginny. "What if I'm starting to have...feelings for Charlie?" Hermione looked down at her lap.

Ginny sat back and stared hard at her best friend. "How long have you thought this?"

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know. I think it was when he gave me the ring." She held out her left hand, on which her engagement ring sparkled.

Ginny exhaled loudly. "Merlin, Hermione, why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid you'd think I was a 'scarlet woman' or something, going from one brother to the next," Hermione confessed.

"You? Oh, Hermione, I'd never do anything like that," Ginny laughed, giving Hermione a hug.

Hermione gave a relieved smile. "Well, we'd better get dressed, then."

As they dressed they reminisced fondly of days gone by. Finally, Hermione sat in front of Ginny's mirror as they adjusted her veil.

"I snogged him, Charlie," Hermione said out of the blue. "Twice."

Ginny dropped the veil on the floor. "Hermione Jean Granger! When?"

"At his flat Thursday night and Friday at the second club," Hermione confessed, blushing.

Ginny gaped. "They were there? I didn't even know..."

"Fred and George caught sight of us and they followed us in." Hermione told her.

Ginny picked the veil up and put it back on Hermione's head. "So," she said.

"What?"

"Did you like it?"

"GINNY!"

"I thought so."

*******

notes: Sorry, when I wrote this chapter I thought it would be too much for just one. I divided it into two, and I'm uploading them both at the same time.

* I thought it would be a good idea for Charlie and Hermione to get last minute pep talks from their parents. I saved Hermione telling Ginny about kissing Charlie until now because I figured that Hermione would feel awkward telling Ginny, her best friend, about kissing her older brother when she had dated Ron as well. At least I would feel awkward talking about it with my best friend.