"I vow my life, my love, my magic and my soul to you, Fleur Delacour." Bill lifted his wand and placed the tip on the top of Fleur's head.
"I vow my life, my love, my magic and my soul to you, William Weasley." Fleur returned the gesture. Golden light sprouted from the wand tips, the beams of light joining together at the top of the arch reaching between their heads.
The wizards gathered around the pair stood and clapped loudly as they kissed, sealing the magical vows. Arthur was cradling his wife in his arms; Molly was smiling and crying at her eldest child. Her cry of, "First born, first married!" could be heard above the clapping.
Harry smiled at the pair as they turned and bowed to the crowd. Fleur was wearing a long, Muggle wedding dress. The goblin-wrought tiara sitting in her long, pale hair did look beautiful in the foggy lantern- and wand-light. Beside Fleur, Bill was wearing simple black dress robes, and looked plain next to the half-Veela.
Ginny and Gabrielle looked out of place in hot-pink dresses. They clashed horribly with Ginny's hair, and Gabrielle's constant blush. Gabrielle blushed every time she saw Fleur and Bill kiss, or when she caught a look at Harry in his green dress robes.
The wizard and Veela crowd gathered around the pair and congratulated them. Then the music started, a slow waltz, and Fleur and Bill opened the traditional dance with the bridal waltz. The crowd backed away and let them glide gracefully around the dance floor. Bill's ear was glinting from where he had changed his usual dragon-fang earring for one that sparkled like a diamond claw.
A symbol for Fleur, Harry concluded, looking for Ginny.
Past the dancing pair, Ginny caught Harry's eye from where she was talking to Gabrielle. Nearby, Tonks was dancing with Remus Lupin. Her hair matched the bridesmaids’ dresses, and was as long as Ginny's. It simply made Tonks look ridiculous.
Harry waited for Ginny to finish talking to Gabrielle. When she locked eyes with him, he gestured with his head towards an empty table. Ginny nodded and made her way over to the table, and Harry.
"What have you come up with?" Ginny asked, taking a bite out of a bread roll.
Harry leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes against the glare of the hot-pink dress. "I can't think of a reason that we can't date. However, there is a reason why we can't both go travelling around the countryside, kicking Death Eater butt and destroying Voldemort. You need to look after your parents."
Ginny glared fiercely at Harry. "There are plenty of people who can look after Mum and Dad. Fred, George and Charlie are living here, as are Bill and Fleur, and Fleur's family. Come on, Harry. If you don't let me go, I'll just follow you." Ginny pulled the bread roll apart, then put it down and looked at Harry.
Harry sighed and slumped in his seat. Ginny put a hand on his shoulder massaging gently.
"Don't try to protect me, Harry. That's my job. Yours is to destroy Voldemort. I'll watch over you while you do."
Harry just sighed and sat up. He couldn’t think of anything to say against her arguments that would make sense. He smiled weakly at Ginny. "All right. You win. Just don't get hurt."
Ginny grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it, Harry, wouldn't dream of it. Now all we have to do is tell my family I'm missing out on both years of my N.E.W.T.s to go hunting with you, Ron and Hermione."
"Maybe the four of us should just leave a note and run away?" Harry suggested.
"Do you know where we're going?"
"I do."
"Then let's go tell Hermione and Ron we're leaving."
~*~
"We're doing WHAT?" Ron yelled.
Hermione and Harry shushed him as they lead him back to The Burrow, where Ginny was waiting. The sun had just set beyond the fog. The lounge room they were standing in was in almost-total darkness.
"I said, we're leaving tonight, while everyone's either drunk or distracted." Harry put a hand over his taller friend's mouth. "No more questions until we're in your room."
Soon enough, the three of them were on their way up to Ron's room, their wand tips alight to prevent Mrs. Weasley coming to check on lights in empty rooms. Once the three of them were in his room, Ron spoke up.
"What's Ginny doing here? She's not coming."
"And why not?" the other three asked as one. Ron paled.
"Because she's too--"
"Say 'young' and I'll hex you," Ginny hissed, her wand in her hand.
Ron frowned but went quiet. Outside the window, a half-moon was rising and the sun was setting through the fog.
"We have to get a move on," Harry said, looking out the window at the lights fighting fuzzily through the fog. "If Mrs. Weasley suspects anything, we won't be able to leave for months. Everyone pack your essentials in your trunk, not too heavy--that means only a few books, Hermione--and some clothes. Hermione can shrink them so we can carry them in our pockets."
"I'll write the note for Mum and Dad," Ginny volunteered. Ron opens his mouth to protest, but Ginny was already making her way down to her room, Hermione on her heels.
"Let's get cracking," Harry suggested, opening his trunk. "We're going to need the biggest head-start we can get."
Ron nodded decisively and opened his trunk and wardrobe.
~*~
In the end, Harry had his clothes and an assortment of items in his trunk--his Invisibility Cloak, Sneakoscope, and other little things that could help them, including the map to Godric's Hollow that McGonagall had given him. Ron and Hermione had finished by the time Harry had, and both were waiting for Ginny to finish the letter. Hermione shrank the trunks as Ginny wrote. Eventually, Ginny sat back and Hermione picked the parchment up, blowing on it slightly to dry the ink before reading it aloud.
"Dear Mum and Dad.
"Harry, Ron, Hermione and I are going to Godric's Hollow, to start on the way to destroying Voldemort. The Order has tried and failed -- they can continue on the way they are going. We're simply going to do it our own way, without the hassle of trying to co-ordinate the Order around us.
"We'll send you regular mail with Hedwig and Pig. Don't search for us. We won't be found.
"Lots of love,
"Ginny.”
"Very good, Gin. They might just think we've been taken by Death Eaters."
Ginny blushed. "Is that good or bad?"
Hermione shrugged. "As they will."
"Okay, you three. Let's go before we change our minds." Ron picked up his trunk, put it in his pocket, stood up and headed for the door.
Hermione, Harry and Ginny followed suit. In the kitchen, they left the note on the table, then made their way to the fireplace.