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Engagements
By biggerstaffbunch

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Category: Post-OotP
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Genres: Comedy
Warnings: Sexual Situations
Rating: R
Reviews: 12
Summary: *** The author has been reminded via the e-mail address on file that this story is listed as incomplete and has not been updated since 2004 ***

Ginny Weasley always knew that her brother and Hermione would get married one day. What she didn't count on was planning the wedding with Harry Potter- or the spirit of romance touching them both!
Hitcount: Story Total: 3111







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AN: Well, they said it couldn't be done. But it could. And it was. Chapter One of Engagements completely reworked and the whole concept rethought out...days before HPB. Oh I love how continuity will be disrupted world-wide...drop me a line of review if you like this or have suggestions!

Chapter One: The Engagement Party

October 5th, 2002

“So,” Ron Weasley was snickering, his red, sweaty face matching the damp locks curling on his forehead exactly, “I get down on one knee, all set for a properly romantic proposal, you know, and then-”

“And it was terribly sweet, it really was, but-” Hermione Granger cut in, her face flushed and eyes bright, a glass of champagne in one hand and the fingers of her other hand intertwined with Ron’s.

“Hermione! Let me finish the bloody story!” Ron said, in the voice that had developed out of years in his fiancee's presence: a fine balance between annoyance and affection.

Hermione simply shook her head and smiled. “Oh, honestly,” she rebuked gently. “Go ahead.”

Thank you. All right, as I was saying, it was a brilliant night so far so leave it to me to bugger it up-”

Ginny Weasley sighed. She furtively glanced down at the antique watch that resided on her slim wrist- both to keep track of the time and to remind herself that the past four hours had not been passed in vain. The beautiful watch was a twenty-first birthday gift from Ron and as long as she kept repeating that refrain to herself ("He got me a gift, he got me a really nice gift,") then perhaps Ginny would not go mad. Or more mad than she was going at this very second.

As sister of the would-be groom and best girl friend of the soon-to-be bride, Ginny had heard the Ronald and Hermione Comedy Hour well over one hundred times since their engagement. One week ago. Now, sitting in an uncomfortable chair with a leather seat that stuck hotly to her thighs, Ginny barely bit off a sigh. Four hours of an overly bright, loud, and tacky Muggle resteraunt and a crowded table full of lukewarm food and bumping elbows. Four hours with a motley crew of assembled friends and family, all eager to share Ron and Hermione's happiness and all eager to ask Ginny embarrassing and expected questions on her career choice, her single status, and her clothing style and haircut. Ugh.

Ginny leashed in another sigh as she looked around. An awkward set-up to say the least. Hermione's father and mother, looking a bit frightened even after all these years, her own Mum and Dad, chatting animatedly with Hermione's uncle and aunt, all the Weasley children and their significant others, even three of the Weasley grandchildren, some work mates of Ron and Hermione's, some school-mates, including Luna and Neville, a few Order members, and of course...

And of course Harry Potter.

Ginny tried to suppress a grumble. Her head hurt just thinking of all the people cluttered around these three long tables pushed together- she could barely see her older brothers at the other end, for Merlin's sake!- and having Harry here didn't help matters at all. Damn that man. Of all the seats to take at the party, he had to take the one right next to her! And all right, admittedly he was sandwiched between her and Neville (who had spilt three glasses of water already) but somehow Ginny felt she’d recieved the short end of the wand. Fred sat on the other side of her and he kept shooting her those annoyingly cheeky winks. Every now and then he would poke around her and ask Harry in an exaggerated voice, "How's the love life lately, Potter? I know you Aurors don't kiss and tell easily, but..." Thankfully, Harry would shut the git up fast enough with a grunt and a dangerously cocked eyebrow. Ginny groused to herself, 'Well, he hasn't changed much. Silent and broody, and he's still got that nasty temper.'

“Bloody hell,” she murmured to herself as there was a sudden shriek full of mirth from Hermione. Their other tablemates laughed politely. Ginny just shook her head and poked at her food. The place Ron and Hermione had picked was atrocious-an expensive eatery called “Xperience”, a Muggle restaurant near Hermione's parents home. Eager to meld the families at the earliest opportunity, Mum had agreed to the resteraunt, forgetting the important fact that- "Oh, yeah, we're all magical." Ginny huffed. The food was nothing like Mum's home-cooking. She glumly pushed around her ‘Fried Calamari,' dipping some in her 'Side Zucchini Soup’ and tried not to vomit. Somehow, she knew Phillipe the waiter would not appreciate her patronage at all if his expensive boots were touched.

“Tasty stuff, isn’t it?”

Ginny gave a squeak as her fork clattered to her plate. So lost was she in her own ruminations she hadn't even noticed Harry's breath against her ear. A warm, callused hand clamped down on her knee under the table as all eyes turned to her. Ginny gave a small smile and said weakly, “Erm…swallowed a bit of, uh, zucchini.” She gave a tiny nod and ducked her head as everyone resumed eating. Through the fall of red hair that covered her face, Ginny cast a mutinous glower towards the man sitting on her right.

“Lovely voice you have there, Potter. Thanks ever so much for making me privy to those melodic tones. I'm really grateful, honestly, thank you so much for talking to me, a mere peasant, wow. I just- Merlin. Thank you." Ginny injected mock sincerity into her voice, gazing up at Harry in an expression of adoration she had perfected since her pre-teens.

Harry gave a choked laugh as he leaned in again. “Weasley, you may be a peasant, but I would never prefice that with mere. And besides, who can blame a bloke for not talking? Looks like they're doing the speaking for all of us tonight." He motioned to Ron and Hermione vaguely.

With that, he removed his hand and went back to propping his head up with his fist, stirring his avocado soup absentmindedly. Ginny felt a physical ache stir deep within her at the loss of contact from his hand. No, she told herself stubbornly, You are over that. Over him.

She was in a good place now, no longer the stupid little schoolgirl with fairy-tale dreams. At twenty-one, Ginny was in her first year of playing Reserve Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, a major coup for a girl whose mother threw a royal fit when it was announced her daughter intended on playing Quidditch as a profession. They had just won a match against Chudley, the fifteenth match they'd won since the women's team was allowed to play against the whole, mostly-male, League. In fact, the only reason Gwenog had let Ginny have two weeks off from practice was their series of stunning victories of late. Ginny hid a smile at the memory of Ron’s torn expression upon receiving the news of his favorite team’s defeat. She was ripped out of her reverie again when Harry nudged her gently.

“What are you laughing at?” he asked. “You’ve heard this story more times than I have!” He grimaced slightly and rolled his eyes.

Ginny’s heart jumped. Oh, Merlin. Harry’s smile…the years had not diminished the effects he had on her. Harry was still shorter than Ron by an almost comical difference, but at least he was taller than her. There was no way he could be called 'scrawny' anymore, either. Auror training had built up his body and the rolled up sleeves of his jumper showcased rangy muscles in his arms. He still had that strong chin and those lovely eyes, but the frames weren’t cheap and thick anymore. They were smart, thin specs that had the tendency to slide down a bit on the bridge of his nose. He still had that messy fringe, she thought fondly. But now it was a bit more stylish, perhaps in light of the changing fashions. She smiled, thinking of Harry struggling to put Muggle product in the thick, black strands. Or better yet, learning Beauty Charms to tame it. She giggled outright at that.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked petulantly, giving her another grin to take the childishness out of his tone. Ginny's own grin faded. Harry's smile wasn't boyish or shy any longer- at twenty-two, his smile was positively devastating.

“Well, Highness Harry,” Ginny started witheringly, to cover up the blush rising in her neck. “As you’ve deemed it all right to talk to the lower peasants, I do suppose you’re correct. They are a bit long-winded. But really, this is their night-who am I to stand up and yell, ‘Please, you two! For the love of Merlin, put a stop to this madness!’ They’re just- really, really, really involved with each other.”

Harry snorted. “Yeah, true. But even then-you have to admit-we put up a lot with them being 'really, really, really, so-blind-my-head-should-be-up-my-arse, involved with each other at Hogwarts. It’s not fair to make us sit through a four hour long ‘experience’ complete with horrid food and horrid waiters just because they're making their union legal. Finally.”

Ginny hid her surprise at his words. “A bit bitter, yeah?” She shook her head and dragged her fork along her plate lightly, resisting the urge to point out that "they" hadn’t put up with anything-he had done it all by himself. “I dunno-I can’t really deny them this night, Harry. Not after…well, everything.”

They both fell silent for a moment, listening to the steady stream of chatter from their friends, watching the happiness play over the features of family. Ginny felt a sort of tightness in her throat as she thought of the battle that had ended it all. Though not without casualties, the side of Light had won- obviously- and now everyone was moving on with their lives. The Weasleys hadn’t suffered any losses, thank Merlin, but Dumbledore had fallen, Remus, too. And of course, Sirius. In the end, Harry hadn’t been left with anyone but his best friend’s family.

Ginny reached out and, surprising herself, she took Harry’s hand. “All right?” she inquired gently.

Harry gave a wry smile and nodded. “Hey, now, Ginevra,” he teased lightly. “You’re ruining the ambience of the ‘experience’. I don’t think Phillipe appreciates that. He’s worked very hard you know.”

Ginny choked on her laughter. “Shut it, Potter.”
And with that, the two went back to prodding at their food. This time, however, the tense and awkward mood was lighter, more humorous. Every now and then Ginny would sneak a look at Harry and catch him with a carrot stuck experimentally up his nose, or she would dangle a piece of calamari from her finger and then flip it into Fred’s soup. It still worried her that Harry could switch moods so easily, that he seemed so bitter secretly at Ron and Hermione's coupling, that maybe he wasn't happy. But Ginny didn't know what she could do- or what Harry would let her do for him.

Finally, the point came during the evening where the decision was made to go home. Not only were Bill’s children tired, but by the whole, most of the family were bored out of their minds and increasingly frusturated at hiding their magic. Hermione and Ron weren't too perturbed, however. As the Weasleys trouped out of the restaurant, followed by most of the other guests, Ginny felt a hand catch her elbow.

“Ginny,” Hermione whispered, her cheeks red and her eyes still sparkling. “A group of us are planning to visit The Leaky Cauldron after this. Seamus has the key, so it’ll be a right party- complete with Firewhiskey, and shhh, no, I won't tell! Come?”

Ginny was just about to refuse, despite Hermione's overwhelming happiness and enthusiasm, when she felt a voice near her ear. “If you refuse,” it said, “I will spear my eye with a fork, I promise you that.”

She grinned and said, “All right, I suppose for awhile. But I don't know if the calamari really agreed with me- maybe I'd like to Apparate home early tonight, so I won't be there long."

Hermione nodded and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "See you there!" she said before turning to follow Ron out.

Ginny turned to Harry. "Um..." she started, suddenly shy. "I'll see you there, too, I s'pose." Harry's eyes were impossibly dark as he nodded.

"Yeah, Ginny. I'll see you there."
Ginny shivered to herself, and it wasn't the cool autumn air, either. As she closed her eyes and felt the tingling take over, she thought maybe big things were coming.

Big things.
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