Awkward Moments

"Mommy, Mommy!" Deirdre chirped, twirling around in her new dress. "Isn't it pretty?"

"The dress is lovely," Hermione assured her. "But you'll muss it if you keep spinning like that."

Deirdre stopped immediately. "Why are they doing it?"

"Doing what?" Hermione asked.

"Why are Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny getting married?"

"Because they love each other," Hermione answered.

Deirdre pondered this for a moment, her little face screwed up in thought. "So, when I love somebody, I should marry them?"

Hermione laughed. "Sure, darling. When you're older."

Deirdre clapped her hands together. "I'm going to marry Daddy!"

"You can't marry me," Ron said, coming up behind his daughter and picking her up.

"Why not?"

"I'm already taken," Ron told her. "You'll have to marry someone else."

"Okay, I'll marry Orien," Deirdre said. This matter settled, she turned to her mother, oblivious to her father's groans of despair. "Mommy, can I see Aunt Ginny yet?"

"No, sweetheart, she's not done getting ready," Hermione answered. "I should be in there helping her. Ron, would you make sure Deirdre doesn't spill anything on that dress?"

"No problem," Ron said.

"Oh, and find Reid and Keith. I think they went outside. Don't let them get messy!"

"Of course," Ron said.

"Your mother is coming any minute, be sure to help her bring the food in."

"Hermione!" Ron said with a laugh. "Just go!"

"Alright, already," Hermione said. "But be sure to check the--"

"I'll take care of everything, love," Ron said, shooing Hermione with his hands. "Go make sure my sister isn't having a nervous breakdown."

*

In fact, Ginny was thinking of doing just that.

Calm down, Ginny, she told herself. It's going to be just fine; you're getting married!

Ginny took a deep breath. She was calm, she was cool, she was collected...she was lying to herself. She was more nervous than she'd ever been in her life. She had known she wanted to get married, but she hadn't know all that it would entail.

Hermione walked in, and Ginny began to pepper her with questions.

"Hermione, is Mum here with the food yet?"

"She will be momentarily. Ron's seeing to the tables."

"Who picked up the wedding cake?"

"Fred and George grabbed it on their way here."

"Are you sure Charlie's...waddayacallits...CDs are going to work?"

"They'll work fine. I've used them all my life."

"What if they don't? What's a reception without music?"

"It's going to be fine, Ginny."

"Is Colin here yet?"

"Yes, he's setting up his equipment in the sanctuary."

"If these pictures don't turn out, I'll strangle him."

"I'm sure you will..."

"Listen, you may not have thought of this, but what if--"

"Ginny. Sit down."

Ginny took another deep breath, and let Hermione guide her to a seat in front of the vanity.

"Ginny, do you remember my wedding?"

Ginny smiled, of course she remembered. Hermione had run around making all sorts of last minute adjustments, and had slipped into her dress a record two minutes before the ceremony, somehow still managing to look radiant.

"Then you know how meticulous I am about everything. It's all taken care of," Hermione assured her. "This is your big day. Relax."

"How can you say that, Hermione?" Ginny said desperately. "I'm getting married today. Do you understand what that implies? One man, for the rest of my life, am I ready for that?" Ginny had a tendency to talk in italics when she was agitated.

"Ginny, tell me something," Hermione said quietly.

"What?"

"Do you love him?"

Ginny's eyes went dreamy, and a smile flickered at the corners of her mouth. "Yes. He's wonderful, Hermione."

Hermione gave her a tight hug. "Then everything else will fall into place, I promise."

To Ginny's horror, she found that there were tears in her eyes. "Thanks, Hermione."

Hermione smiled. Suddenly back to her bustling self, she set about making minute changes in Ginny's hair and makeup. A few minutes later, she ceased her actions with a contented sigh.

"You look gorgeous, Ginny."

Ginny smiled. She was beginning to understand about this being the happiest day of her life. "Thanks, Hermione."

"You're welcome."

*

On the other side of the church, Harry was having fits.

"Ron, do you think I'm ready for this? A family, settling down..."

Ron laughed. "This is my sister we're talking about, Harry. You will never settle down."

Harry relaxed slightly. "I won't, will I?"

"I'm going to assume that's a rhetorical question. Here's your jacket."

Harry took the jacket of his rented tuxedo and put it on. "Merlin, this is uncomfortable. Do you think Ginny would mind if I didn't wear it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ron said. "She'd have your head on a silver platter."

"And when she was finished with me, you're lovely wife would scold me into oblivion for ruining Ginny's big day. This is my big day, too!"

"That's the fate of us guys," Ron said. "The girls get fussed over, and we just do what we're told."

"Whining again, Ronnie-kins?" Fred asked, poking his head in the door.

"Sure am, Fred," Ron answered, ignoring his brother's use of the childhood nickname.

"Listen, where does Mum want us to put this cake?" Fred asked, opening the door to show George standing behind him, floating a humongous cake in front of him.

"Somewhere where none of your fiendish children can get to it," Draco Malfoy advised, coming out of nowhere. A bad habit of his, really, Harry thought.

"Excuse me," Fred said, looking highly indignant. "My children are nowhere near as mischievous as your lot."

"I beg to differ," Draco said. "Your son Sean has just cut a huge hole in the middle of the pumpkin pie, and your mother is furious."

Fred turned white. "Merlin, Mum's going to have my head. Excuse me, gents, I have to go find Angelina."

With that, Fred rushed off, narrowly avoiding running straight into the wedding cake.

Draco smirked. "Just kidding."

George grinned. "Malfoy, you really are a sorry git, did you know that? Turned to the side of good or not."

Draco swept him a bow. "Thank you very much."

Harry was much too nervous to join in the fun. He kept picturing Ginny standing beside him, saying, "This guy? Why would I want to marry him? This has all been a big mistake!"

Draco glanced at Harry, seeming to sense his panic.

Coming over and putting a friendly hand on Harry's arm (Harry still couldn't get used to this whole 'I'm-not-an-evil-Death-Eater' thing. It was too weird.), Draco nodded his head wisely.

"She will not leave you at the altar, you will not forget your vows and make a fool of yourself, you will not say anything to ruin her day, you are not making a huge mistake."

Draco turned to Ron and George. "Did I leave anything out?"

Ron thought for a second. "Oh, you won't trip over your feet when you dance with her, either."

Harry groaned and sat down in a conveniently placed chair. "Thanks a lot, guys."

"Oh," Ron said, turning to Draco. "I just thought you should be warned. Deirdre has decided that she's going to marry your son."

Draco smiled. "Orien?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "No, your other son. You slimy ferret," he added, as if an afterthought.

"Just clarifying. You filthy weasel," he added, mimicking Ron's offhand tone. "Well, who can blame her, really? No one can resist a Malfoy."

Ron mimed vomiting. "Ugh, Malfoy, don't flatter yourself."

Harry smiled, his worries temporarily forgotten in the face of the old feud. Weasley vs. Malfoy, round gazillion. Although, the fights had gotten a lot less bloody since Draco decided that the whole killing-people-for-sick-pleasure thing was not the way to go.

The worries all came flying back though, a few seconds later. Remus Lupin walked in the door and said, "It's time."

Harry's stomach dropped to the approximate region of his knees.

*

Ginny gave her father a small smile as she took his arm.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Understatement of the year," she replied.

Mr. Weasley smiled. "I understand. When your Mum and I got married, I was so nervous I almost transfigured my best man into a tea cozy. But then your Mum came out, and she looked so beautiful and confident that all my worry just drained away. Because I knew that we were making the right decision."

Ginny smiled up at her father, a real smile, a huge smile. "Thanks, Dad," she whispered.

"No problem, sweetheart," Mr. Weasley whispered back.

The minister started to wave the bridal procession through the doors. Luna, then Hermione, the bridesmaid and Matron of Honor. Orien, the ring bearer. Deirdre, the flower girl.

All too soon, the minister gestured for Ginny and her father to enter the chapel.

Ginny took a deep breath and tried to smile, thinking of her fathers words. But her smile was large and fake until she saw Harry.

He was standing in the front of the chapel, looking absolutely gorgeous in his black tuxedo, with Ron standing beside him, looking slightly uncomfortable. Remus Lupin was standing behind Ron, looking calm and sure amidst the chaos in Ginny's mind.

Harry smiled nervously at her, and the sheer hilarity of it all hit her like a ton of bricks.

If anyone had told Ginny six months ago that she would be walking down the aisle, about to marry her best friend, she'd have laughed outright and suggested that the person check into a mental ward at St. Mungo's.

She would have never imagined that she and Harry would be standing here, in front of all these people, about to fulfill the predictions of Hermione, Ron, a whole family of Weasleys, the Quidditch team, Harry and Ron's Auror coworkers, and various others.

Ginny began to smile, a real smile this time. Harry must have seen the mischief in her eyes, because he began to smile too. By the time Ginny reached the altar, they were both grinning like fools.

*

Ginny was thinking something funny. He could tell. And, Merlin, when she smiled like that he couldn't help but smile back. She wasn't nervous, she was confident. Surely he had no reason to worry. Just one look at the laughter shining in her eyes was enough to convince him that he had made the right choice.

As the minister began to speak, both Harry and Ginny subtly looked around at their guests.

Harry saw Hermione, standing behind Ginny. She looked happy, triumphant, and almost tearful. Harry knew that she was overjoyed for them. She was one of his best friends, and she had helped him in any way she could, ever since he had known her. She was a giving, caring person, and he knew that she had shaped his life in a vital way. He smiled at her, and she gave him a watery smile in return. She wasn't going to cry again, was she?

Speaking of crying, Mrs. Weasley was sure bawling up a storm. When the news of Harry and Ginny's engagement had been revealed to her, she had pulled them both into a huge hug.

"I always knew you would make it," she had said happily, the tears running down her face.

Mr. Weasley was sitting beside his wife, an arm around her as he listened to the minister and gazed at his daughter and soon-to-be son-in-law with a broad smile.

Standing behind Harry were the two most amazing men that he knew.

His best friend Ron. Ron had been his friend since Harry's first introduction to the wizarding world, all that time ago. He had stood by Harry through thick and thin, along with Hermione. They had both saved his lives on uncountable occasions. Ron was always there, loyal and true to his very bones, always making everyone smile, always offering a shoulder to lean on.

Remus Lupin. The man had been like a father to him, comforting him when he had lost both his father and his godfather. He wondered if Remus had moments of despair, when he remembered that he was the last remaining Marauder. Harry was sure that Remus was thinking of another couple, one with jet black, messy hair, the other with red hair, who stood in this church years ago.

When Harry had suggested getting married in the same church that his parents had, Ginny was quick to agree.

"It will be like they're watching over us," she had said, giving him an impulsive hug.

*

Ginny's thoughts ran along the same lines as Harry's.

She smiled at her brother, who dropped her a quick wink. Ron had always been her favorite brother. Bill was cool, Charlie was exciting, Percy was intelligent, and Fred and George were funny.

But none of them were Ron. When she'd had nightmares about Tom Riddle, the summer after her first year, Ron had snuck into her room, sat on her bed, and held her hand until she went back to sleep.

When she was broken-hearted, Ron would go and beat up whomever had dared to hurt his precious little sister. When she had needed someone to make her laugh, Ron was always there with a joke or two.

Her parents, who loved her unconditionally, no matter what. She gave them a smile, and her father smiled back. Her mother gave a small wave, still holding a handkerchief in one hand and dabbing at her eyes.

They had guided her and helped her throughout her life. They had given her morals, tradition, and a steady rock to support her when she was weak.

All of the people in this room had contributed something to her life. Had shaped her as a person. She was so lucky.

*

The vows were said, the rings given, in voices sure and confident. They met each other's eyes as they said their vows, promising all that was said and all that was unsaid.

"I now pronounce you man and wife," the minister concluded. "You may kiss the bride."

Harry smiled down at his new wife. He reached out and cupped her face with his left hand, the one on which his wedding ring now resided. He bent down and kissed her softly on the lips.

Mrs. Weasley cried harder.

As the music started up, Ginny took Harry's arm and they walked out of the church, both feeling as if the road that stretched before them was paved with gold. As long as they had each other, everything else would all fall into place.

One thing was for certain. There would be no more awkward moments.