The Most Beautiful Thing

"Come on, Gin," Ron called, knocking on the door of his twenty-two year old sister's apartment. "Time to go face the most torturous hour of our lives."

Ginny opened the door wearing a short, sleek black dress and spike heels, her long red hair pulled into an elaborate knot at the back of her head. The classy look was ruined by her tearstained face.

"Oh, Ginny," Ron said comfortingly, reaching up a hand to cup her tear-streaked face. "You can't go looking like this."

"I don't want to go at all," Ginny answered in a monotone. "I want to go to bed and wake up to find that this entire thing was a dream."

"I do too," Ron said honestly, enveloping his sister in a hug, wishing they could just skive off the entire fiasco.

"You know what, Gin," he said suddenly, pulling out of their embrace to look her in the eye. "Let's not go."

Ginny stared at him with wide eyes. "Really? Can we do that?"

"Why not?" Ron asked with a shrug.

"Well, won't they be disappointed?" Ginny asked in worried tones.

"They'll understand," Ron assured her. "Mum will make our excuses and apologize that we couldn't be there, and they'll both smile politely and say they'll miss us. No one will be fooled, because they know very well why neither of us want to show up. "

"Why do we have to go through the motions?" Ginny asked. "Why can't we just say that we can't stand to see them happy?"

"It's just not done, Ginny," Ron replied ruefully.

"Ron," Ginny said, gazing up at him with a look in her eyes that broke his heart, "let's go drown our sorrows."

"You read my mind," Ron told her. They both disapparated.

*

"You're what?" Bill asked in an astonished voice.

"We're not going," Ron told him for the third time. "We're going to go to a little no account pub called the Shrieking Eel, and we're going to get completely trashed."

"But the ceremony..." Bill started.

Ron interrupted him with a snort. "Yeah, because the happy couple expects our blessing?"

Bill could not deny the logic of this. He looked at his two youngest siblings in turn. Their eyes were ancient and world-weary, belying their young faces. They had seen too much death, pain and destruction in their lifetimes. Yet they still had long, lonely lives ahead of them. It just wasn't fair that in addition to that, they had to deal with heartache and the obliteration of their dreams.

"Okay," Bill said. "But you better get going before Mum finds you here, or you'll never get away."

Ron nodded sadly. "Tell Harry and Hermione we send our love."

Ginny laughed, that deadened laugh that never failed to wrench his heart. It was so different than the merry, lilting chuckle she used to let forth at every opportunity. She and Ron had both been forced to grow up and face reality much too soon.

His precious baby sister looked at him out of hollowed eyes and said in a voice devoid of emotion, "And let them interpret that any way they choose."

*

Hermione was overwhelmed with a wave of melancholy. It was quite disconcerting, as this was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. Feeling a twinge of pain in her hand, she looked down to find a small, thin circle of metal she had unknowingly been clutching in her palm.

She fingered the chain it was attached to as she realized the reason for her moment of sadness.

Somewhere, Ron Weasley was feeling the same way.

Hermione heard voices behind her and hastily wiped away the tears that had begun to form in her eyes.

"That's a pretty trinket," Luna said, catching sight of the necklace. Hermione silently traced the heart that was engraved on the silver disk.

"Can I help you put it on?" Lavender asked, and took the piece of jewelry from Hermione without waiting for a reply and fastening it to her neck. The feeling of sadness intensified.

"When did you get this?" Parvati asked.

Taken off guard by the arbitrariness of the question, Hermione replied without thinking. "Ron gave it to me ages ago."

Luna gave her a sharp look, and Hermione avoided the girl's piercing eyes.

"Good," Parvati said in satisfaction. "Here, put this on," she continued, handing Hermione a small silver hair clip with a turquoise stone imbedded in it. "It's my wedding present to you."

"What's left?" Lavender asked. "Something new...Here, those shoes are new, right?"

Hermione nodded, completely confused. "Why?"

"It's tradition, Hermione," Parvati answered. "The bride has to wear something old..." she touched the necklace, "something new," she pointed at the shoes, "something borrowed, and something blue," she finished, touching a finger to the turquoise stone in Hermione's new hair clip.

"She doesn't have anything borrowed, though," Lavender mused.

"Here, borrow this," Luna said suddenly, holding out a small pin shaped like a crescent moon. "My mother gave it to me."

As Hermione reached out to take it, she met Luna's eyes. The younger girl gave her an accusing look, and Hermione bit her lip.

"Not now, Luna," Hermione whispered. "I can't deal with it now."

"You'll never be able to deal with it," Luna told her. "It's just going to get worse and worse until you can't bear it anymore. You have to make things right with them."

There was no need to ask who Luna meant by them. There were only two people in this world whom Hermione had ever hurt beyond repair. It was just her bad luck that it was two of her best friends.

"I don't know how, Luna," Hermione said quietly, tearing up again. "I can't think of any way to fix what Harry and I have done."

"There's only one way," Luna told her. "You know what it is. If you truly love Harry, you're just going to have to forget all about them. Because what you do today is irreversible, and they'll never forgive either of you."

"So I have to choose between the man I love and my two best friends beside him?" Hermione asked desperately. "It shouldn't work that way."

"It shouldn't," Luna agreed. "But it does."

"What am I going to do?" Hermione pleaded.

"You have to make a choice," Luna said simply. "It all comes down to whether you truly love Harry."

"Of course I do," Hermione said instantly. "With all of my heart."

"Then why," Luna asked, "are you wearing Ron's necklace?"

*

Harry stood outside in the autumn breeze, his thoughts going much the same direction as Luna and Hermione's conversation.

Ron had been his friend since he had first been introduced to the wizarding world. It felt wrong on many levels to hurt his best friend this much. But he loved Hermione. Didn't he?

A leaf flew across the path where he stood, and he absently bent down to pick it up, still absorbed in his thoughts. He twirled it between his fingers as his thoughts took another direction.

Ginny. Merlin, he had loved that girl. She had been his first love, back when he was still caught up in the excitement of being young. They had been lost in the thrill of first kisses, first love, and the pangs of a truer, deeper love than either of them had imagined. She had fit so well into his arms, and her lips molded onto his as if they had been made for each other.

But, in the end, it had been Hermione he'd looked to. Ginny was gone on a mission, and Hermione was the only one there when he had received the news. Remus Lupin had been killed in a one-on-one confrontation with Lucius Malfoy.

He cried in Hermione's arms, and she cried with him. When Ginny came back to headquarters and found them locked in a desperate embrace, her mind had jumped to the worst conclusion.

Things were never the same after that. Ginny never spoke to him, and Ron was hurt that he had stolen Hermione from right under his nose. In spite of the fact that they were both mistaken, Harry and Hermione hadn't had time to explain the facts and repair their ruined friendships.

The next day, Voldemort had struck. It was the final confrontation, in a field both sides knew that many of them wouldn't leave alive. Harry had gone into battle to face the destiny he'd been hurtling towards since the first time he heard the name Voldemort. He had done it without Ron or Ginny at his side.

The names raced around in his head, even today. Remus Lupin. Kingsley Shacklebolt. Hestia Jones. Seamus Finnigan, Dennis Creevey. Cho Chang. Anthony Goldstein. Ernie Macmillian. Hannah Abbot. So many others.

So many good people, all of them killed in that bloody, desperate battle that would decide the fate of the world as they knew it.

Miraculously, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny all four survived. But nothing was the same. Ron and Ginny both disappeared after that day, and Harry and Hermione clung to each other for support. That mutual need grew into love.

Now they were getting married. It was so right, many whispered. The hero always gets the girl. Many had rallied in support of their union, although there was a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from the Weasley clan.

Harry looked down at the leaf in his hand, and laughed humorlessly when he realized what had prompted him to pick it up in the first place.

It was the same vivid red as Ginny's hair.

*

"It's an empathetic necklace," Ron explained. "I have it's mate. We'll be able to sort of feel each other's emotions when we wear them."

Hermione lifted her hair so that he could fasten it to her neck. As the clasp fell into place, Hermione was overcome with a wave of affection and love so heart wrenching that she had trouble breathing properly.

She looked at Ron with wide eyes. He felt all of that because of her. The thought humbled her, that she could have such an impact on someone's life.

She ignored the hoots from Harry and Ginny, who were also exchanging Christmas presents. It didn't matter what they thought, because Ron loved her.

At that moment, life was beautiful.

"Come on, Hermione," Luna said quietly. "It's time."

Hermione was startled out of her memory by Luna's calm, dreamy voice. Her heart sank, and she was overcome by a wave of nervousness and dread.

"Am I doing the right thing?" she asked Luna fearfully.

Luna just stared at her with a calculative look on her face. "You tell me."

*

"You know," Ron said, "you always told me I should tell Hermione how I felt before someone snatched her away from me."

Ginny surveyed her brother with a wry look. "I just didn't think Harry would be doing the snatching."

Ron sighed, and took another swig of his firewhiskey. "Shows what we know, huh?"

"We should go," Ginny said abruptly. "To the wedding, I mean."

"Why?" Ron asked incredulously.

"So when the minister asks who objects, we can both stand up," Ginny told him.

"This is why we're in Chipping Sodbury," Ron said knowingly. "I knew you'd suggest that, but we're too far away to get there in time."

"We could apparate," Ginny suggested. "We should apparate straight on top of their big wedding cake."

"You're drunk," Ron argued. "You'd splinch yourself."

"You got me drunk on purpose," Ginny accused.

Ron smiled, satisfied with himself. "Yes I did."

"Damn you," Ginny said, her genial mood suddenly leaving her. "Damn you. We could have stopped this insanity."

"They would have done it anyway," Ron said in a defeated voice. "We'd have made fools of ourselves."

"At least then they'd know how we feel," Ginny insisted.

Ron looked at her with a bland expression. "You think they don't already know?"

"Good point," Ginny said, and took another long drink of firewhiskey.

*

The guest list for the wedding was a long one, including people from Albus Dumbledore himself to that squib, Arabella Figg.

The two youngest Weasley's weren't there, to no one's surprise. As one witch whispered to her friend, "It would have been tragic if they had shown up."

Mrs. Weasley had excused them by claiming they had an emergency at work. Although many of the guests were Aurors as well as Ron and Ginny, and hadn't heard of any emergency, this excuse was the accepted one.

Harry stood nervously at the altar, backed by Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Colin Creevey.

"He deserves a girl like Hermione," one guest whispered to her husband. "Especially after all he's been through." The woman's husband nodded absently, agreeing with his wife out of sheer habit.

*

Harry gazed adoringly at Hermione as she walked down the aisle on the arm of a pleased looking Mr. Granger. She was resplendent, in a strapless, corseted gown with a wide skirt and a long veil made out of a light, floating material.

She smiled nervously at him as he met her gaze, and he returned the smile with one equally nervous, although happy just the same.

His happiness drained away abruptly as he caught sight of a small silver disk dangling from a chain around her neck.

Why on earth would she be wearing a necklace given to her by a person she hadn't talked to in over a year? Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her without the necklace since...well...he had never seen her without it.

An unspeakable dread filled him at that thought. That necklace reminded him of things he'd like to forget. It reminded him why Neville Longbottom was his best man instead of the one who should rightly be standing there. It reminded him why Luna was standing in her place as Maid of Honor, instead of Hermione's best girlfriend, a beautiful young woman with russet red hair and a stunning smile.

He shook himself out of his reverie to find that Hermione was standing beside him. The minister started to speak.

"My dear friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love between these two young people..."

"Excuse me," Harry interrupted. "Could I speak with Hermione for just one second?"

There were gasps heard from the crowd, but Harry ignored them and pulled Hermione aside.

"Hermione," he asked, getting straight to the point, "why are you wearing Ron's necklace?"

Hermione looked up at him sadly. "It felt wrong not to wear it. They should both be here."

She looked out into the crowd, and Harry followed her gaze, meeting the accusing stares of the Weasleys. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley looked as if they were martyrs going to their deaths, but determined to take it like adults. Fred and George were looking mutinous, and Percy had his eyes closed as if in prayer. Bill was positively glowering, while Charlie surveyed Harry and Hermione with tired eyes.

"Hermione," Harry said, drawing her gaze back to him, "you don't want this."

Hermione looked at him in surprise, tears filling her eyes. Her mouth opened as if to argue, but he put up a silencing hand.

"You don't love me any more than I love you," Harry told her. "You still haven't gotten over Ron."

Hermione bit her lip. "How did we let it get this far?" she asked in disbelief, staring out into the crowd as if expecting to wake up any minute.

"We were caught up in the drama," Harry said tiredly. "Everyone said we were perfect for each other, and neither of us could get to the people we really loved."

"I love you, Harry," Hermione insisted. "I just don't love you in that way."

"Why did it take us so long to realize that?" Harry demanded incredulously.

"I don't know," Hermione said, her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry, everyone," Harry said in a loud voice, turning back to the guests. "There isn't going to be a wedding."

There was a simultaneous gasp from the assembled group, although Harry noticed that the Weasleys were looking decidedly more happy.

"Why not?" Dean asked.

"Well, Fred and George were going to object anyway," Harry said with a shrug. The twins looked slightly guilty, but didn't deny it. "I just realized they were right."

"Harry," Hermione said, causing the attention of everyone in the room to rest on her. "Do you reckon we should go try and fix the biggest mistake of our lives?"

"That sounds like an amazing idea," Harry said approvingly.

"They're at the Shrieking Eel," Fred called.

"That's in Chipping Sodbury," George added. "Now move!"

Harry and Hermione laughed and disapparated.

*

Ron felt a surge of happiness rush through him. As this was completely the opposite of what he was feeling, he thought it rather strange.

"What?" Ginny asked. Neither of them had gotten as drunk as they planned, and they were still in almost full control of their mind and motor skills, although things were pleasantly hazy.

"I felt happy for a second," Ron said with a frown. "It was weird."

Instead of answering, Ginny reached over and took in her hand the charm that dangled from his neck, holding it up for him to see.

"Hermione wouldn't still be wearing hers," Ron scoffed. "She's marrying someone else, in case you forgot."

Ginny snorted. "I can't forget."

Suddenly, the door banged open. Ron turned towards the door, and his wand was halfway out of his pocket before he realized that the war was over. He sensed Ginny relax beside him, and knew she'd had the same reaction.

Suddenly it hit him, what exactly he was seeing. Hermione was standing there, in a rain soaked wedding dress, and Harry was behind her in an equally wet tuxedo.

Ron gaped, and he felt Ginny stiffen beside him on her bar stool.

Ron couldn't believe they had the gall to show up here, after what they just did. He decided that the best course of action was to ignore the pair of them. Ginny apparently agreed, as she turned back to the bar with a defiant look on her face.

"Don't you ignore me, Ronald Weasley," Hermione scolded. "Honestly, maybe I should have married Harry after all."

"Wait, you'd marry me just to get back at Ron?" Harry asked in mock-anger. "Then it's a good thing I called the wedding off."

"We called it off together," Hermione said. "Don't go taking all the credit for yourself."

It had finally sunk in what they were talking about. Ron couldn't control himself; he turned around and stared at them. "You did what?" he asked.

"We didn't get married," Hermione said, smiling radiantly at him. He fought the urge to smile back.

"Why?" Ginny asked, turning around also.

"Because we don't love each other," Harry said, looking straight into her eyes.

"So you two waltz in here expecting us to forgive you?" Ron asked.

"And take you back just like that?" Ginny said.

Hermione just nodded.

"Okay," Ron said, and without further ado he jumped off his barstool, ran over to her, wrapped his arms around her and span her around in a circle.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "If you're forgiving her, I guess I have to forgive Harry," she said. Harry grinned at her.

"But don't think I'm letting you off this easy," Ginny warned. "You owe me."

"Anything you want, Miss Weasley," Harry said.

"I want you," Ginny said, climbing off her barstool and running into his arms.

"No problem," Harry said softly. And with that, he kissed her hard.

Not wanting to be outdone, Ron bent his head and finally kissed the woman he had loved and lost, only to win her again.

Life was a beautiful thing.