Chapter 2: The Wedding

"Finnigan, you crazy Irishman, c'mere so I can congratulate you properly!"

Ron Weasley raised up his glass of champagne in Seamus Finnigan's direction, motioning him over to where he and Hermione were standing with Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and maid-of-honor, Parvati Patil, who was fiddling with her dress, and muttering something about Muggle clothing being so bothersome.

Seamus, however, was a bit preoccupied at the moment. He was the center of attention today, along with new wife, Lavender, who seemed to be basking in the glow of being a bride, telling everyone who would listen just how ecstatic she was. Surrounded by dozens of well-wishers who seemed to come in successive waves, Seamus sent out a pleading look to Ron, who replied only with a mischievous grin, letting Seamus know that he was quite enjoying this show.

He felt Hermione swat his arm. "You're so awful," she said, laughing.

"What?" Feigning innocence was a trademark he had perfected over the years, especially with her. "I was merely trying to congratulate the bloke. Can I help it if he's sinking in quicksand over there?"

"Your compassion overwhelms me, Ron Weasley," she said. Ron thought she was scolding him at first--and perhaps that had been her original intention--but he changed his mind when she reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

He smiled; they were in public, after all. Their normal displays of affection would have to come later.

"Oy, here we go..."

Hermione threw a sideways glance at Dean. "Something the matter?" she said, wiping away her lipstick from Ron's cheek with her thumb.

Ron tried not to laugh as he spied the look on Dean's face, as Dean seemed to be thinking fast about what to say. Some things never change, he thought with a smile. After all these years, his girlfriend still managed to intimidate the hell out of everyone.

"Oh no, no, not at all," Dean said. "We love it when you and Ron are being so openly affectionate."

Neville snickered, and Ron was tempted to as well, but, not particularly wanting to contend with Hermione's death stare at the moment, he resisted. Besides, it felt good to be the envy of every man in the room.

Hermione, though, let the comment go and simply rolled her eyes and laughed. "Men," she muttered. She looked over at Parvati, who seemed to be near the edge of frustration with her dress.

"How is one supposed to wear something like this?" she was mumbling, as she tugged continually at the lace-trimmed collar. "Couldn't they have just had a normal wizard wedding like everyone else and have us wear robes?"

"Parvati..." Hermione sighed. "Parvati, if you keep pulling at it, you'll rip it---here, let me help you..." She broke away from Ron's arms and whispered, "I'll be right back. Looks like she needs some Muggle born expertise."

Ron smiled and nodded, making sure to keep any smart remarks about the situation to himself.

"Besides," Hermione said, looking over at Neville and Dean, who seemed to be fascinated by watching Parvati struggling with her dress, "you'll have them to entertain you while I'm gone..."

"Try not to stay away too long just the same," he said, eliciting a soft giggle from her.

Dean clapped him hard on the shoulder.

"Well?"

Ron looked at him and arched an eyebrow. "Well... what?"

"Oh come on, do we have to spell it out for you?"

"Yeah, that might help just a smidge, Thomas," Ron said.

Dean exchanged knowing grins with Neville; apparently they had discussed this amongst themselves before. Ron, for his part, was a little irritated, and wished they would just come out and say what they were trying to say.

"We're at a wedding," Neville offered, looking at Ron, as if expecting him to get the hint now.

But Ron was in no mood to play guessing games, and replied, without even bothering to hide his annoyance, "Really? Why thanks, I hadn't guessed. No wonder Lavender's wearing that get-up."

"Touchy, touchy," Dean said, laughing. "We're just trying to be of some assistance here, Ron. That's all."

"Assistance with what?"

Dean gave him a look, then finally said, "Didn't you wonder why Neville and I didn't bring our girls to this wedding?"

Ron, feeling particularly cranky by this point, shot back, "Not really. I just figured you blokes couldn't find any ladies to go with you."

"Ha ha," Dean said. "Uh, no, that's not why."

"But I'm sure you'll tell me why."

"Ron, it's a known fact--girls get all sentimental at weddings," Neville said. He must have noticed Ron's puzzled expression, because he went on. "They, you know... start expecting things."

His patience was wearing thin. What was with these two and their cryptic doublespeak about girls and weddings?

"Like champagne and cake?"

"No, you prat," Dean said in exasperation, "like a proposal!"

Ron, who was sipping champagne at that very moment, exploded in a sputter of coughs, causing Dean and Neville to pound him on the back, while laughing hysterically at him.

"By George, I think he's got it," Dean taunted. Ron glared at him.

"You're nutters, both of you..."

"Yeah? You just watch. You watch, when Hermione comes back here with Parvati... You don't think they're talking about this in the bathroom? About how lovely this wedding is and how wonderful it would be to plan their own weddings?"

"Look, Hermione's not like other women," he informed them. But they did not seem too convinced. "She isn't! She's not going to be expecting me to propose to her tonight, just because two of our friends got married today." He rolled his eyes. "Grow up, you two."

"Hey, we're not the ones who seem to be scared of commitment."

"This from the two who refused to bring their girlfriends today, lest they get sentimental over a wedding."

Dean pretended to be wounded. "I've been with Francesca for three months--Neville's been with Louisa for two." He placed a hand on Ron's shoulder again. "You, my friend," he said, "have been with Hermione for five years. Taking your sweet old time, aren't you?"

"Well, I'm not scared of commitment, for your information," Ron shot back.

He really did not want to be talking about this right now, and especially with them. They would never understand anyway. In the distance, he saw Hermione and Parvati emerging from the bathroom, Parvati looking a little less out of sorts now. Hermione caught his eye and smiled at him--that smile he loved so much, that made every cell in his body tingle.

Were Dean and Neville right? Would Hermione really be expecting him to propose sometime soon, especially after today?

It's not that he didn't want to marry her. No, that much was never in doubt. When he pictured his life five, ten years from now, she was always there by his side, along with children--lots of little children, all with bright red hair (though he secretly hoped they would inherit Hermione's features instead). No, it wasn't that he didn't want that life with her. That was not the problem at all.

The problem was, would she want that life with him?

Down the road, would she be happy with the life of an Auror's wife, or would she grow bored and restless, and come to regret ever promising her life to him?

"Hey," she said, coming up to him breathlessly, her face flushed pink as she kissed him. "Sorry I took so long..." She leaned in and whispered, "Parvati was being impossible!"

He smiled, pulling her close to him, ignoring Dean's and Neville's stares and suppressed snickers. "Quite all right," he said. He looked over at Dean and Neville again, who were now pretending not to watch them. "I had an interesting enough conversation with these two to keep me entertained."

"Oh? What about?"

He shrugged and kissed her forehead. "It's not important-"

"Freedom at last!"

Ron turned around and saw Seamus, fresh from his last encounter with another group of family and friends, walking over to them.

"Sorry, I couldn't get away sooner..."

Ron laughed. "No apology necessary, Finnigan. Got to make the rounds, I suppose?"

"Yeah," he said, and he looked as if he wanted to say more, but stopped short, after Lavender joined him.

"Hello, everyone!" she cooed. "I hope you're all enjoying yourselves..." She surveyed the small circle of people, then frowned. "Wait a minute... Where's Harry?"

"He couldn't make it, remember, love?" Seamus told her.

"League Cup, Lavender," Ron offered further. "He's playing in the Championship Game today."

"Yeah, I never thought in a million years the Cannons'd make it-" (Ron shot him a dirty look) "-or I'd've asked you to change the wedding to a different day," Seamus said.

"Well he's missing a helluva wedding reception, he is." Neville held up his champagne glass. "This Muggle drink is fabulous... What do you call it again?"

"Champagne," Hermione told him. "Nice, isn't it?"

He nodded vigorously, taking another gulp of it. "I'll say."

Dean, Muggle born like Hermione, watched him with some trepidation. "Uh... you'd better slow down there, mate. Stuff packs a punch if you're not used to it."

Neville hiccuped and laughed his concern away. "So where can we sneak a listen to the WWN, anyway? I'm dying to know the score..."

"I know," Seamus said, Lavender beaming with pride as she watched him speak. One would think, Ron mused, that she had never seen him talk before. "I've got quite a sum of Galleons riding on the outcome. The Wasps better come through for me..."

He was met with derisive looks from both Ron and Lavender.

"What?" he said to Ron. "It's the Cannons, mate!! You don't actually expect them to win, do you? I mean, Potter's good, but he's no miracle worker..." Then he turned to Lavender, who did not seem too happy at all that he had been gambling. "If I win," he explained to her, "we'll be able to go on a second honeymoon..."

Lavender smiled; apparently, Seamus had explained the Muggle concept of a honeymoon to her. "Oh, well in that case, good luck, sweetheart."

Ron rolled his eyes, which he must have done rather conspicuously, because he felt Hermione nudge him slightly on the side, her typical way of telling him without words to stop being a smart-aleck git.

Dean had slipped away from the group without anyone noticing, and he bounded back, with a small radio in his hands. "You'll never believe it!" he said breathlessly, eyes as wide as saucers.

"What?"

"Bloody Potter, he actually did it! I can't believe it, he actually did it!"

Ron looked at Hermione; she looked as if she were ready to burst at any second as well.

"You mean... they won?? The Cannons actually won?"

"Two hundred forty to one hundred eighty!! They crushed them!!"

Seamus let out an anguished moan. "No..."

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Lavender said, obviously not fully comprehending the Quidditch talk.

"Lost," Seamus managed to utter. "I lost the bet..."

Ron tried not to laugh and turned to Hermione. "Blimey, he actually did it," he said, unable to keep from smiling. "He must have been bloody brilliant... Wish I could have been there to see it..."

"Me too," Hermione said. "Figures, you've been waiting all your life for this day, and you had to miss it."

He chuckled and leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "If Lavender hadn't bloody roped Finnigan into tying the knot on today of all days, I'd've been there..."

"Oh no..."

Ron looked up and saw Dean scrunch up his face upon hearing something on the radio.

"What--hic--happened?" Neville asked.

"Harry," he said.

"What about Harry?" Ron said, suddenly overcome with panic. "He's all right, isn't he? What's the matter?"

"He's been hurt... After he caught the Snitch, the Wasp Seeker knocked him off his broom, and Harry broke his shoulder again..."

"Son of a..." Ron stopped himself, remembering that Hermione was beside him.

"God, Ron," Hermione said, "we need to go see him... This is the fifth time this has happened--that can't be good..."

Ron nodded silently, then looked up to find everyone's eyes were on them. No one could say a word. Slowly, he came up to Seamus and Lavender. "I'm... I'm sorry, but I think Hermione and I need to head out a little early..."

"Of course," Seamus said. "Hey, er... tell Potter... tell Potter I hope he gets better soon."

Ron smiled weakly. "Yeah, we will." Not wanting to leave everyone in a depressed state, he added, "Hey, congratulations, both of you. Splendid wedding, it was."

Lavender beamed. "Thank you! I reckon you two'll be next to throw one of these soon, eh?"

Ron just gave her a smile and reached forward to kiss her on the cheek. "Thanks for inviting us," he said, and together, he and Hermione disapparated.