Now And Forever
Chapter 26
By Abraxan
Author Notes:
Many thanks to my brilliant Brit-picker, Kelpie, and my fabulous betas, Alexander, Asad, Iris and Rich! Thanks too to Mark Anders Harrison for help with a Latin incantation, and Mike McKean for his help with a sports question!
NOW AVAILABLE!!! "Star Sons 1 - Dawn of the Two" an original fantasy novel by Abraxan (Lynda Sappington)! Go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble to order! If you want an autographed bookplate, send a business-sized SASE to:
Whimsy Hill Publishing,
15401 Eaton Pike,
West Alexandria OH 45381.
Harry couldn’t believe it. The week was behind him. No more school, no more Quidditch, not even a lot of homework faced him for two whole weeks. What did face him was his wedding after the
evening meal tonight, and two weeks of bliss with Ginny before the real world reared its ugly head again. He sighed, wishing dinner would end quickly so they could get on with things!
He looked around and grinned at his and Ginny’s wedding guests. They’d been invited to come early and enjoy a wonderful Hogwarts dinner, and nearly all of
them were there, already dressed in their wedding-guest finery. The Gryffindor table had been expanded to accommodate the entire Lions team and staff as well as all the Weasleys. Various shopkeepers
from Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, some of the Auror School staff and other guests were scattered among the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables.
Ginny, who was sitting to Harry’s right, was merely picking at her dinner.
"Too nervous to eat?" Hermione said from across the table.
Ginny grinned. "Too excited! I wish we could get on with it!"
Harry wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, then kissed the top of her head. "Me too."
Molly Weasley came up behind Ginny. "Ginny, dear, shouldn’t we go and get you ready now? And Hermione, too, of course," she added, smiling across the table at her
daughter-in-law.
"Yay! Let’s go!" Ginny got up from her seat and started to follow her mother, then turned back and tapped Harry on the shoulder so he turned toward her. She cupped his face in her
hands and bent down until they were forehead to forehead. "I love you." She kissed the end of his nose and turned to go, but Harry grasped her arm and turned her back so he could plant a
serious kiss on her lips.
"See you soon!" he said as he finally released her. He turned around and faced a table full of grinning Gryffindors, Weasleys and Lions players, many of whom had whistled and shouted
encouragement during the kiss—not that Harry and Ginny needed any encouragement. Harry shrugged and grinned back at his friends. What else could he do?
"We should go soon too, mate," Ron said, looking at his watch.
"What, you think it will take you two as long as the girls?" Fred teased. "You going to curl your hair and eyelashes, Harry?"
"Ron’s hair’s already curly," George said, considering his younger brother carefully. "Maybe he should wear some makeup to hide his freckles."
"Ha-ha," Ron said, making a face at the twins. "C’mon, Harry. The longer we’re here, the more chances they’ll have to annoy us."
"All in good fun!" Fred called as Ron and Harry left the table.
"Harry! Will you be flying in on that fancy new broom?" Charlie teased as Harry passed him.
"Nah, I thought I’d save that for our getaway," Harry replied. He’d expected a lot of teasing from the Weasley brothers and the Lions, and none of them had disappointed him.
Fortunately, Harry wasn’t that nervous, not yet, anyway, so the teasing really was fun for him. As soon as he thought that, he chuckled. Why should he be nervous? He and Ginny were already
married! With a huge grin on his face, he turned and waved at the hooting, cheering crowd just before leaving the Great Hall.
* * * * *
Half an hour later, Harry and Ron were dressed, Harry in emerald-green robes, Ron in a much darker shade of green, peach rosebuds pinned to their lapels. They were
waiting in the Trophy Room, just off the Great Hall, for Dumbledore to tell them it was time to go.
"Nervous?" Ron asked.
Harry was bouncing on his toes in anticipation. "Not too bad, no. More excited than anything, I think."
Ron watched Harry for a moment, then laughed. "Calm down, you’re making me tired."
Harry stilled, anxious for a moment. "You have her ring, right?"
Ron just grinned and held up his right hand, showing Harry that Ginny’s ring was sitting safely on Ron’s pinkie. "I won’t let you down, Harry."
"Thanks, mate!" Reassured, Harry went from bouncing on his toes to pacing. "Where’s Grandfather? We need to get started!"
"Not in a hurry, are you?" Ron teased.
"Not much!"
Just then, Dumbledore came in.
"It’s about time!" Harry said with a laugh.
"Impatient, are we?" his grandfather teased.
"Yes!"
"Then you’ll be pleased to know it’s time for us to make our appearance." Dumbledore looked at each young man in turn. "You both look wonderful. And Harry, I don’t
believe I’ve ever seen you happier."
Harry grinned and clapped his grandfather on the back as he turned the old wizard toward the door. "You will soon!"
Ron shook his head and leaned toward Dumbledore. "He’s been giddy all evening."
"I don’t blame him a bit. Shall we?"
"Last one in’s—" Harry said, pretending to start running for the door.
Dumbledore laughed. "You’re quite silly tonight."
Harry bounced on his toes in front of his grandfather, clearly ready for what awaited him. "Silly’s better than nervous!"
"Too right," Ron agreed.
* * * * *
When Harry entered the Great Hall, he made himself look around at the setting and not simply stare at the doors at the far end, willing Ginny to hurry through them.
The House tables had been pushed against the walls, replaced in the centre by rows of chairs now filled with the guests, Hogwarts staff and students. The platform where the teachers normally sat for
meals had been cleared off as well. On one end of the platform, Dan Jacobs and his band members had set up their instruments. Dan was now seated at the keyboard playing something lyrically beautiful
and uplifting. Dan caught Harry’s eye and nodded in response to Harry’s grin. The bass guitar player had a violin in his hand, but wasn’t playing it yet. Tall candlesticks framed
each row of chairs, with small nosegays of peach-coloured roses wrapped with elegant green ribbons attached below each candle. Emerald-green baskets of peach roses and ivory calla lilies sat on the
platform and in each window niche.
Dumbledore stood in the centre of the platform, with Harry and Ron to his left. Harry looked toward the doors, which stayed stubbornly closed. His eyes roved from guest to guest, amazed and a touched
that so many people had come all this way to see him and Ginny get married. He shared smiles with those who saw him looking, then turned his attention to the far end of the Great Hall again. She had
to be coming through those doors soon!
The music changed, the violin joining with the keyboard now in a song that was more grand, more stately, yet elegant and light as well. With the change in the music, the doors at the far end of the
Great Hall finally opened, revealing Ginny standing there with her arm through her father’s.
Harry realized he was holding his breath when Ron poked him and said, "Breathe, mate," which made Harry laugh.
He glanced at Ron. "Thanks, I needed that."
Ron sniggered. "Yeah, I thought a poke would do you good." After a shared grin, both of them turned to watch their women walking down the aisle.
* * * * *
The wait outside the doors was horribly long for Ginny. She was dressed, she was ready, what was the hold up? She watched her father’s nervous pacing and wished
she could do the same thing, but she didn’t want to muss her beautiful robes by tromping about in a flurry of nerves. And she wasn’t nervous, not really.
"You look remarkably calm," Hermione said, adjusting one of Ginny’s curls.
"I’m not nervous at all. Excited, yeah, but not nervous."
"That’s great!" Hermione leaned closer to her. "I wish your dad felt the same."
"Me too." Ginny sighed. She’d always been able to depend on her dad. He was the rock of the family, the calm one when her mum was having wild emotional swings. Her mum was holding
up surprisingly well so far. She’d given Ginny a tearful kiss and told her for perhaps the twentieth time that she looked wonderful, then taken Fred’s arm and let him escort her to her
seat. But Dad. Why was he so uneasy?
"Dad? Is anything wrong?" Ginny said at last.
Her words startled him. He turned and stared at her. "Wrong? No, nothing’s wrong. Why should there be?"
"Then why are you pacing?"
Arthur pressed his lips together and his eyes grew sad, but he didn’t speak.
"Dad?"
Arthur walked over to Ginny and took her hands in his as he stood in front of her. "You look so beautiful. Harry’s a lucky man."
Ginny tossed her head and gave him a quick grin. "I agree! But why do you seem sad?"
"I . . . you’ve always been my precious little girl, but today . . . today you’re a woman. It’s a hard transition for any father to make." He dropped his chin, refusing
to look at her anymore. A moment later, he wiped tears from his cheeks.
Ginny gripped his arm, wishing she knew a way to comfort him. "Dad, please don’t be sad. Harry loves me. He’ll take such good care of me! And we’ll come and see you often! I
love him, Dad. We’re going to be so happy together."
"I know. I couldn’t have chosen a better man for you. I’m so proud of you, and I’m happy for you, I am, truly. It’s just . . . you’re not my baby
anymore."
Ginny hugged her father, then pulled back and looked up into his eyes. "I’ll always be your baby, Dad. I can do that and be Harry’s wife at the same time. Don’t worry,
you’re not losing me."
A tremulous smile crossed his face. "I know, dear. It’s just an adjustment for your poor old dad."
They both turned toward the door when they heard the music change and the violin join the keyboard.
Hermione lifted Ginny’s bouquet of peach roses and ivory calla lilies from a box and handed them to her. "Here you go. You look great."
"Thanks! So do you." The girls hugged briefly before Hermione picked up her bouquet of ivory roses and went to take her place behind Ginny.
"It’s time," Arthur said, offering Ginny his arm. "Shall we?"
"Can we skip down the aisle?" Ginny said, giving his arm a playful tug.
"If that’s what you want, dear." Arthur skipped a couple of steps, making Ginny laugh.
"I think the traditional way might work better in these robes," Ginny said.
Arthur gave her a fond smile. "Ah, well. It could’ve been brilliant, us skipping down the aisle."
The doors opened and the Great Hall stood before them, filled with friends, family and Hogwarts students and staff. Even the Hogwarts house elves were there, standing along the wall where they could
see past the seated witches and wizards, Dobby and Winky at the front of the line.
The music swelled then, and Ginny and Arthur began their long walk, with Hermione, in robes of soft peach with golden embroidery on the skirts, a few paces behind them.
* * * * *
She looks like a dream. Ginny’s dress robes were some Harry hadn’t seen. Her shoulders were bare, but long sleeves covered her arms, ending in points over
the back of her hands. Shimmering beadwork covered the rich ivory fabric in moving images of long-tailed birds of some kind. As she got closer, Harry realized the birds were phoenixes. Her robes
trailed the floor behind her, making her look taller and rather regal. A small tiara sparkled in her hair, part of which was coiled up on top while the rest cascaded in loose curls down her back. As
the music reached a crescendo, she and her father climbed the steps to the platform where Harry, Ron and Dumbledore waited. Hermione moved up the stairs to stand across from Ron.
The music ended, leaving the Hall in silence for a moment. Then Dumbledore’s voice rang out.
"Who gives this woman to this man?"
"Her mother and I," Arthur said without hesitation, his voice clear and strong. He squeezed Ginny’s hand before removing it from his arm and placing it in Harry’s hand, then
bent and kissed her cheek. He turned to Harry and clapped him on the shoulder. "Take good care of her."
"I will," Harry replied.
Arthur blinked back tears and nodded, then stepped down off the stage and went to sit with his wife and sons.
Ginny handed her bouquet to Hermione and turned to Harry, who took both her hands in his. Harry stood gazing into her eyes and felt as if the two of them were the only ones in the room. His
grandfather’s voice startled him out of his reverie.
"Tonight we witness the joining of two lives, two hearts, two spirits as one," Dumbledore said. "These two young people have grown up together here at Hogwarts, and have been
through more trials, pain and fearsome experiences in the past few years than most people face in a lifetime. Despite everything they suffered, their love blossomed and grew into something many of us
can only dream of. It is my great pleasure to join Harry and Ginny in marriage."
He pointed his wand at the ceiling, which changed from a star-spangled night sky to a close-up view of several galaxies spinning overhead in rich, beautiful colours.
"The universe is such a vast place, it’s impossible to imagine how huge it is. So we focus on our one planet, the beautiful planet Earth, which is a tiny speck among all the other
heavenly bodies." The candles dimmed, and a soft light picked out a blue-and-white planet, enlarging it so it became the focus of everyone’s attention. "On this tiny planet live
millions of people. Isn’t it amazing that out of so many people on the face of the earth, two people can find each other and their two hearts become one?" He shook his head, a soft smile
on his face. "It simply amazes me.
"And here we are, witnessing the joining of these two whose spirits are individually strong, resilient, amazing in every way. And together, oh my. I expect great things from this union.
"The best thing in life is to love and be loved. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love heals all wounds and forgives all wrongs. Love trusts. Love never fails. Love stands
through everything life throws at us. Harry and Ginny are publicly declaring their love and devotion to each other by the exchanging of vows and rings."
He turned to Ginny. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, do you take this man to be your husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, to be faithful and true to him, to stand by his side no matter what
happens?"
Ginny gazed at Harry, her face lit with her great love for him. "I do."
"Harry James Potter," Dumbledore said, "do you take this woman to be your wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her, to be faithful and true to her, no matter what
happens?"
Harry’s voice rang out firm and clear. "Yes, I do!"
"The rings, please?" Dumbledore waved his wand over the rings in Hermione and Ron’s outstretched hands. He Levitated them and haloed them with a golden light so they were clearly
visible to everyone in the Great Hall. "These rings are circles, symbolizing your love, which is endless, circling each other forever." The two rings circled each other and linked
together in mid-air. "As a circle goes on forever, so too does the love between two matched souls. Harry and Ginny are two halves of a whole, which will be joined here into one life, one love,
one soul." He separated the rings and gave Harry’s ring to Ginny. "Place the ring on his hand and repeat after me."
As Ginny slid the ring on Harry’s finger, she gazed into his eyes and swore with every bit of her strength, "With this ring, I promise to be true to you, to love you, to cherish you, and
to be your partner all my life. My soul and yours are one."
Harry felt a tiny sizzle as the invisible phoenix ring vanished. He gazed at the dainty ring in his hand for a moment before sliding it on Ginny’s finger. His heart was overflowing with
emotions he couldn’t even name. He just knew he’d never been so happy. When he got to the words, "my soul and yours are one" and slid the ring on her finger, he felt her
phoenix-feather ring sizzle as it vanished, too.
Harry lifted his wand for the joining of the wands, which his grandfather had explained would be merely ceremonial, since their wands were already joined in the previous marriage ceremony. Harry went
through the motions required, but his concentration was on Ginny’s eyes. She was his both in private and now in public, at last! He glanced up at the sparks around their wands as Dumbledore
created an illusion to replicate a real joining of the wands, then grinned at his grandfather and turned his attention back to Ginny. When he heard "You may kiss your bride," Harry pulled
Ginny into his arms and gave her a kiss to remember. Apparently she had the same kind of kiss in mind, because he found himself completely lost in the kiss, the huge crowd of people watching them
forgotten. He and Ginny broke apart suddenly, startled when they heard gasps from the watching crowd. Harry felt a spell wrap itself around them and looked toward his grandfather—but his
grandfather wasn’t next to him! Harry held Ginny to him tightly when he realized they were floating a few feet above the stage, their descent slowed by Dumbledore’s spell.
Harry looked at Ginny and saw the laughter in her eyes just before he heard cheers and whistles from the crowd and a chuckle from his grandfather.
"You never know what strange new power might show up in someone who’s survived the Refiner’s Fire," Dumbledore said loudly enough for the crowd to hear. His grin invited them
to join his laughter. When the room quieted again, he continued, "And now, it is my heartfelt pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter!"
Harry and Ginny turned to face their guests, huge grins on their faces. Harry waited for Ginny to take her bouquet from Hermione, then held his elbow out to her and led her down the stairs to start
their life together at last.