Awkward Moments

"Here comes the bride, big, fat and wide!" sang Orien at the top of his lungs.

"Hey!" Deirdre said angrily, smacking Orien on the side of the head. "That's my aunt!"

"So?" Orien demanded, smacking her back. "It's just a song."

"And here comes the groom, skinny as a broom," sang Fred's son Jem.

"Jem, that's your uncle, too!" Deirdre cried, smacking him as well.

"Hey, don't hit him!" Orien said. "He's my friend!" In retaliation, Orien pulled a handful of Deirdre's hair.

"Ouch!" Deirdre squealed. "Orien Malfoy, you'll pay for that!"

And with that, she lunged at him, only to be plucked from midair by her Uncle Fred.

"Oh no you don't, my love," Fred said, as George grabbed Orien.

"You two really have to cut that out," George said.

"He started it," Deirdre pouted.

"Of course he did," Fred replied soothingly. "He's a Malfoy. That's their job."

"And a Weasley's job is to cause as much trouble as humanly possible," Draco cut in, taking Orien from George and setting him on the ground.

"That's what I'm here for," Fred answered.

"Look, here they come," George said, pointing towards the opposite end of the large reception hall.

Harry and Ginny walked in the door, looking happy and laughing merrily.

"Kill me, someone, quickly," Draco begged. "I'm going to throw up."

"They're sweet," Hermione admonished, coming over to confiscate her daughter.

"Yeah, I think it's cute," Draco's wife, Katy, added.

"That's the problem," Draco muttered. "Katy, love?"

"Yes?"

"Did we look that ridiculously happy when we got married?" Draco asked.

"Yes, you did," George replied.

"I was asking my wife," Draco said coldly.

"And I care why, exactly?" George enquired.

"Cut it out, you two," Katy warned. "Unless you want me to disturb the bride in order to have her come over here and Bat Bogey hex you both."

"Nonsense," Draco said. "You can do a perfectly adequate Bat Bogey Hex."

"Thank you, love," Katy said, smiling despite herself.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, as he and Ginny walked over to them, arm in arm.

"Draco and I were just discussing the best alcohol to spike your punch with," Katy replied.

"Forget that," Ginny said. "Who drinks the punch, anyway?"

"I honestly don't know," Katy replied.

"Hey, Dad!" Ginny shouted. "Where's the rum?"

"I think Ron took it, dear," Mr. Weasley shouted back. "But I can fix you up a gin and tonic, if you like!"

"Thanks, Dad, I'd appreciate that!" Ginny shouted.

"Anytime, love," her father shouted back.

"Speaking of Ron," Hermione said, "where is that no-good husband of mine?"

"You heard Mr. Weasley," Draco answered. "He's somewhere with rum."

"That's never good," Hermione said, and rushed off to stop her husband before he got himself totally inebriated.

"What about rum?" Seamus Finnigan asked, joining them quickly.

Amid much laughter, Seamus explained that he heard about their wedding through Dean, and popped over to congratulate the happy couple.

"Although," he added, "if I had suggested to Harry six months ago that he'd be marrying Ginny, he'd have pitched a spaz."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "But only a little one."

"Now, down to the important question," Seamus asked, looking at Harry seriously. "Why is the rum gone?!"

*

"...So, with love and laughter, I give my blessing to Harry and Ginny. May their marriage be filled with happiness, beauty, and little children just like they were. They deserve it."

Mr. Weasley sat down, as applause and laughter rang through the hall. His was the last speech. Ron's had been most memorable, as his last line had been, "And no, Hermione did not write this speech for me."

The dancing began, with the ceremonial dances completed and everyone spinning everyone else around the room.

Except Deirdre and Orien.

"That's an ugly dress," Orien said.

"Well, your hair is an ugly color," Deirdre retorted.

"Well, your hair is bushy," Orien sneered.

"You're clumsy," Deirdre said.

"Am not!" Orien denied. "I'm a lot less clumsy than you!"

"I'm not clumsy, either," Deirdre said. "I'm just growing."

"I hope you grow into your big teeth," Orien snapped.

"I hope you grow into your big nose," Deirdre replied.

"Remind you of anyone?" Ginny said, as she danced with Ron.

Ron glanced fondly at the two children, who had gone their separate ways, although they were still shooting dark looks between them.

"I have no idea what you mean," Ron said, in a superior voice.

"Well, you know what the solution is, then!" Ginny mimicked Hermione. "Next time, ask me before someone else does!"

"I hate to tell the bride to sod off, but sod off, Ginny," Ron said, contradicting his words with a smile.

"You just don't want to think of your daughter falling in love with a Malfoy," Ginny accused.

"Of course not," Ron said. "Draco probably teaches them how to torture small animals in their spare time."

"Someone is biased," Ginny observed.

"Someone is just looking out for their daughter's best interests," Ron corrected.

"Orien is a nice boy," Ginny said. "Draco's not all that bad, either."

"Ginny, you are a poor, innocent, naïve girl," Ron said, with an air of great suffering. "You just don't understand about Malfoys. Although," he added, "my poor, innocent little sister was caught snogging Harry in the middle of a kitchen a few months ago." Ron looked sick at the memory.

"And that was only the tip of the iceberg," Ginny said, grinning.

"What?!" Ron roared. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Ron, you can't kill him," Ginny said in a soothing voice, holding on to Ron's sleeve. "We're married now."

"That makes no difference to me," Ron growled. "He has besmirched your honor!"

Ginny snorted with laughter. "Besmirched? Hermione's been rubbing off on you, hasn't she?"

"Well, I certainly hope so," Ron said. "We have been married for six years."

"Ron, you are such a prat," Ginny said with a smirk. "But I love you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my husband."

"Consider yourself excused," Ron said. "I have to find Hermione, anyway."

*

"Harry?" Ginny said. "What are you doing out here?"

Harry had escaped to the bell tower of the church. She found him there after a small hunch had told her he wouldn't be around any people.

"Thinking," Harry said seriously. "I wonder what Sirius would think about all of this?"

Ginny smiled. "He'd say that we reminded him of James and Lily, and he'd be happy for us."

Harry turned to her. "Ecstatic is a bit closer to the truth. Do you think we're doing the right thing?"

"Well, of course I do," Ginny said. "If we had stayed friends, we'd have scared off each other's love interests by fair intention or foul, and grown up to be cynical, eccentric, old single people."

"Well, when you put it that way," Harry said, leaning in to give her a kiss.

"We love each other," Ginny said simply. "Everything else will fall into place." She silently thanked Hermione for that little bit of wisdom.

"Come on," Ginny said. "We have to get to the honeymoon."

"Excited, are you?" Harry said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Damn me and my morals," Ginny said. "The waiting has been killing me."

"Oh, come now, Gin girl," Harry scoffed. "Your morals are what I love about you."

"Well, when you put it that way," Ginny said, grabbing his hand.

Together, they walked down the stairs.

*

"So, Ron," Hermione said, as they laid in bed. "Do you still think we should have locked them in a closet?"

"It would have been a bit quicker," Ron replied.

"You are an insufferable prat, you know that?" Hermione asked.

"But that's why you love me," Ron insisted.

"No," Hermione contradicted. "I love you because you kiss like a god."

"That's the only reason?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Do you think I'd have married you otherwise?"

"I feel really special now," Ron grumbled.

Hermione just laughed.

*

"George," Ria said, laughing. "George, we have to go home!"

"But the party's just getting started!" George argued, gesturing around at the almost-empty reception hall.

"Everyone is gone," Ria pointed out. "And if you're all that's left of the party, I'm leaving."

"Are you implying I'm not cool enough for you?" George questioned.

"Actually, I think I came right out and said it," Ria said. "There was no implication."

"Remind me why I keep dating you," George asked. "It really doesn't seem worth it, if I have to put up with all of this abuse."

"You know you love me," Ria said. "And, let's face it, you really can't help it. I'm wicked cool."

"And modest, too," George grumbled.

*

Two years after the wedding, Ginny gave birth to her first child, a beautiful redhead they named Lily. Ginny and Harry went on to have three more children: Sirius, Virginia, and Kenna. The three girls and one boy kept the couple on their toes.

Ron and Hermione did not have any more children, but, as Hermione always said, "Three is quite enough, thank you." Ron continued to kiss like a god, and Hermione continued to steal his alcohol.

Draco lived happily ever after, damn him. Ron continued to be suspicious of his animal torturing tendencies as long as they lived. Katy continued to threaten everyone with bodily harm.

When Deirdre and Orien went to Hogwarts, they became the best of friends. Both of them in Slytherin (Much to Ron's chagrin), they kept fighting like cats and dogs all through their teenage years. Did they fall in love?

That's another story.