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Author: Kathryn Story: Beyond the Proposal Rating: Teens Setting: Post-DH Status: Completed Reviews: 11 Words: 26,721
Disclaimer: All characters, places, spells and objects that are in JKR's books are hers. I do not own them. I am just having fun playing in her sandbox for a while.
Her daughter was very very reluctant when it came to discussing the wedding, especially when it came to where to place Muriel. No, that wasn't quite right — her daughter was just not interested in planning the wedding at all. And that lack of interest was growing yet further with every week that passed. This was the complete opposite of the last wedding she had been involved in planning. Fleur had been fully involved in her wedding, planning every detail until well into the night at times. Ginny, however, had no interest in the seating plans; she was often late to the wedding dress fittings and rolled her eyes at the caterers. Instead, she was rushing off with Harry, playing Quidditch and doing anything else that would help her hide from the preparations. It was almost as if Ginny did not care about the actual day itself, as shown by her threat last week to elope. Just last weekend Ginny had arrived late to the family dinner after an extra Quidditch training session prompted by the Holyhead Harpies' defeat to the Falmouth Falcons. Her daughter had not been in a good mood to start with on her arrival; apparently the session had not gone well at all and she was nursing several nasty cuts and bruises from the practice, and the discussion of further wedding plans had led to a full explosion of her temper with cries that she was not a child; she just acted like one when she proceeded to tell everyone that she did know how to plan her own wedding and that her plan was to elope. She had finished the argument with sparks flying from the tip of her wand and her hair blazing behind her as she had Apparated out of The Burrow with Harry in her wake. It had taken a whole day before she had turned back up, no doubt staying at Harry's while she calmed herself down, with an apology and a promise that she was not actually going to elope, saying firmly that she would still let her mother be part of her wedding and that she did understand how much it meant to her. She clearly stated as well that she would not let her temper get the better of her and act like a twelve-year-old again. Molly was reserving judgment on those claims until after the wedding. She knew her daughter only too well and how quickly that temper could flare. Frowning slightly, she moved Muriel to table five. She was positive that Muriel would not be too happy about being so far away from the head table but at least she would not upset too many of the other guests. She gave everything one last scan before she left the plans lying on the kitchen table and went to check the chicken in the oven. It was already six o'clock and, as normal for a Sunday, all her family would be here for dinner within the next hour. The frown disappeared instantly as she checked on the carrots. They would all be here soon enough and even Charlie was coming home in a couple of days. There was still nothing that beat getting them all together. It had been so long since the last time she'd had all of them here, and then they were still in the depths of mourning. She was getting them all back, both Percy and Charlie included, for a happy occasion for the first time since the Quidditch World Cup finals in England and she knew, wherever Fred was now, he would not miss the day. She was going to have all her children back at The Burrow for the first time in so long, too long. Ron and Hermione were the first to arrive for dinner, just five minutes later, shortly followed by Bill and Fleur who was holding sixteen-week-old Victoire and the meal was put on hold while they gushed over her first grandchild. The small child with her pale blonde hair was simply perfect, inheriting all the best qualities of both her parents. Added to that, Bill had commented, with a slightly smug grin, that she was such a peaceful child and barely cried. Percy brought his new girlfriend, the very timid Audrey, who wanted to meet the family before the actual wedding day instead of just being thrown into the lions' den, while they were looking back over the seating plans. She used Fleur's suggestion and moved Muriel to a different table for the eighth time today, this time back to table four in place of Augusta Longbottom. She struggled to resist a sigh, wondering how it was that her daughter-in-law was getting more involved in the wedding plans than her daughter, the bride. George, with Angelina, arrived just as they were moving the plates outside for dinner, barely five minutes before Ginny and Harry. Normally, Ginny was the first to arrive since she still technically lived at The Burrow, not that she slept in her own bed too often these days, and last night had proved no exception to that rule as she had carried out the pretence of staying at Hermione's house after the Holyhead Harpies' high-scoring victory over the Montrose Magpies, since both she and Harry had the whole day off. Molly hid her own smile as she watched the pair of them together. It was amazing how many times Ginny had not been able to make it back to The Burrow recently and had to 'crash at Hermione's flat', holding the full pretence that she was not spending the time with Harry. But Molly knew her daughter better. And not only that, she knew what it was like to be in love with days to go to a wedding. Her daughter's behaviour in this aspect was just like her own, all those years ago, before her own wedding when she had told her parents she was staying at a friend's. She had told her own parents that she had been staying up talking to Jane Parker, just before her and Arthur's elopement, when she had not managed to make it back to her parents' house. She glanced over at the young couple again. Ginny had her hands tightly tucked in Harry's as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, not caring who saw them. Not that her daughter cared who saw them, much to her own embarrassment, as Witch Weekly this morning had had a photo of the pair of them taken kissing rather passionately just outside the Harpies' changing rooms yesterday with a nonsense article written by Rita Skeeter underneath. Still dressed in her green and gold Holyhead Harpies' mud-coated robes, she was holding on tightly to Harry's Auror robes with one hand and sending a two fingered salute at the winged camera with the other. This was something that Molly made a mental note that she still needed to have a serious conversation with Ginny about; there was no excuse for that behaviour. Today they were kissing just as passionately, Harry's hand tucking Ginny tightly to him. Ginny seemed to care as little as she had done about the photograph in Witch Weekly, as she just shrugged at the jeers and loud gagging noise that her brothers were making. Harry, though, did look suitably embarrassed as he ended the kiss and looked over at the rest of his adopted family. "Hi, Mrs Weasley," Harry called, as he dropped her daughter's hand and came over to greet her. His face, bless him, was still slightly pink. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Molly beamed at him; Harry had been much less reluctant when it came to the plans. He was just like the Harry she had welcomed into her house as a twelve-year-old, just doing what he could to help. Although, she was forced to admit, maybe Harry had taken that approach to appease her, and because he had not been asked to be involved in as many discussions as Ginny had. All Harry had left to do, now that he had been fitted for his robes and written his vows, was just to be there on the day. "Don't worry about it, Harry dear." She continued to smile at him. "It's all been planned; just make sure you're there on Friday." Harry tucked his hand back in Ginny's, leading her over closer to her mother. "Wouldn't dream of missing it, Mrs Weasley," he turned to smile at Ginny, "not for the world." "I know," she said, knowing that Harry would never do anything to hurt her daughter intentionally, "and it's 'Molly', dear," she reminded him again. "Yes, Molly," Harry said with a blush, the poor boy could never seem to drop the Mrs Weasley tag with her without suitable levels of embarrassment. "Hey, Mum," Ginny cried as she broke hold of Harry and kissed her mother on the cheek. "How are you?" "Fine, dear," she replied as she led Ginny to the kitchen. "I trust you slept well on Hermione's settee last night," she slipped in slyly, causing Ginny's face to flush bright red, matching her hair for a moment, before she went back to the real thing she needed to talk about. "I just want you to look over these seating plans." The look in Ginny's eyes changed as she glanced over the seating plans. Her daughter could be an exceptional actress at times, protesting her way out of trouble on many an occasion, but her eyes were different, they were always so full of emotion. Right now, those bright brown eyes were glaring, making it very clear with just a single look with what disdain she held the seating plans. A mother always knew the places to look to detect her children's lies or moods and with Ginny that was always in the eyes. "Seating plans again," Ginny moaned, already breaking last week's promise about not acting like a child. "Do I really have too? We've already looked at them at least two dozen times in the last month." It really was amazing how quickly Ginny could turn into a moaning child when she wanted. She would pout and sulk or let her temper get the better of her, throwing a tantrum. It was sometimes very hard not to see her as a child, especially at times like this. And it was already hard enough to believe that her baby was old enough to get married. Even if it was to Harry. She knew she couldn't have asked for anyone better for Ginny to marry. They had come a long way since the childish crush and the dreadful events in the Chamber of Secrets. She had watched them grow and known that this day would come for a long time, ever since she had been positive they were falling in love during the year they were forced apart. Harry had done everything he could to protect her, while Ginny, despite the many protests not to, had done everything she could in Harry's name even when she had carried that haunted look in her eyes. You had only to watch Ginny's broken face once to know she had been falling in love. The next year was a whirlwind, as they recovered together before making up for lost time. Since Ginny had left Hogwarts, she had spent so much time with Harry she may as well have moved out of The Burrow as her brothers had done. Molly had known this day was coming for so long. She knew that Harry was good for Ginny and how well suited they were and how happy he made her. But still… Ginny was her little girl and had always been her youngest. It was hard to see her as anyone else. It had been hard to see her leaving Hogwarts. Then it had been even harder to see her playing professional Quidditch. She had already been hurt so many times, picking up the numerous injuries the dangerous sport led to. This, if anything, was harder still; this was the final proof that her last child had grown up and was leaving the family home just as her brothers had done before her. Molly had always expected to hold onto Ginny for some time, but she was going to be the youngest of her children to be married, before many of her brothers. She was still a teenager and barely of age. After a lot of help from Harry, including several low whispers that Molly could not make out, Ginny came over to the table. She sat for a whole ten minutes, showing a remarkable level of patience for her, looking over the plans. Ginny had never been a patient child, wanting to run before she could walk so she could catch up with her brothers, demanding to go to Hogwarts as soon as she had learnt the word and barely sitting still for two minutes. Her daughter enjoyed being in the heat of the action too much for patience. Maybe that was why she found the wedding plans so boring and was so reluctant to take part in them, not enough action. Discussion over wedding plans moved Aunt Muriel again, this time to table six, on the same table as Harry's boss, Simon Holden, at the Auror offices, and Molly had no doubt the elderly witch would be moved again at least a dozen times before Friday. The plans were shelved briefly while dinner was served as Ginny had scoffed that, heaven forbid, they would spill something over the plans and they would have to start again. Sarcasm was really not her daughter's best quality. The tables heaved under food. Many people laughed at the amount of food that Molly would make on these occasions, but she knew her family, and each of her children had very healthy appetites. She could put down enough food to feed fifty, and it would still all be eaten and with her family growing by the day, she had already needed Arthur to put several strengthening charms on the old tables. She wouldn't have it any other way. With the Weasley family finally settled and the food out, the conversation turned back to the wedding again. Fleur, who had set down Victoire upstairs with a charm to alert them if she cried, had now begun to ask questions about the day, from wanting to know from what she could do to help to the colour scheme that would be used so she could coordinate her outfit. "So, Ginny," George called to draw Ginny's attention and she skipped easily away from the conversation. "How's the training going? How's the new signing?" "Good." A grin filled her face as she was more than happy for the change in conversation. "It's still a shame Rachel had to leave, but Isla is settling in well and is a really great Seeker. She could be just what we need." Molly had to hide another sigh. Quidditch again. It really was all her family seemed to talk about at times, especially since Ginny had joined the Holyhead Harpies. They could spend hours talking about the sport, going over some of the finest details without any need for a break from the topic. She often wished that there could be other conversations held, especially with a wedding around the corner, but then this was her family and if she changed the Quidditch talk, she would be losing something that made them her family. "I've not put my bet on for the season yet," George explained as he studied his sister's face, "so, you'd be worth a couple of Galleons this year?" Her grin grew. "We stand a decent chance," she shot back at him with a look that challenged him and nearly made him back down instantly, "but, George, would you have really bet against me?" George laughed and Molly loved hearing that laugh so much after so many months of missing it last year. "I put my money where I'm going to get a return." Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny. "I'd always put my money on you." "You're biased." She playfully swatted his arms. "Yeah, and you're not exactly poor, mate. You can throw money away if you want," Ron chimed in. "Who's your money going on, Ron?" Ginny asked flashing him an innocent smile, a smile that Molly knew only too well. You did not challenge Ginny when she looked like that. It still amazed her, in fact, that her brothers would take it in turns to rise to Ginny's bait. They really should know better by now. They had been on the wrong end of enough hexes and she had received enough Ministry owls about it while she was still underage. "The Cannons," Ron said back in a defensive tone. "Talk about blind loyalty," Ginny scoffed, "as well as throwing your money away." "Just make sure you get your money down this year," George said, "it's going to be Ginny's last year on the team." "What?" Ginny spat out. "Well, you are aware you're turning into Mum: married straight out of Hogwarts, the long line of kids will follow yet," George teased. "I'm not married straight out of Hogwarts," she hit back defensively. "Not much longer, you're only just nineteen, much younger than the rest of us, and walking down that aisle much sooner, and would have been married even sooner, like seven months ago, if you weren't for planning of the massive event. I mean, if you'd got your way, the wedding would have been the day after the proposal, but you waited because of Mum's cries for a real wedding," George continued to tease, "mark my words, you'll be sprogged up soon." Ginny glared at him and threatened to reach for her wand. Molly struggled to hide her laugh as George continued to tease his sister. It was just like both Fabian and Gideon had teased her before her wedding at just eighteen, and then they had continued to tease in such fashion as each of her children came and now it was her little baby's turn to get married. She continued to watch as Ginny threw around banter with her brothers, while keeping her body intertwined with her boyfriend, breaking away from the conversation only to kiss Harry. Maybe her daughter was not completely reluctant. She seemed more than happy to be joining herself to Harry.
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