Chapter 3 - The Wedding
"Hey, Gin! Over here!" someone called her, as soon as she came out of the fireplace, on the Hogwarts Grounds.
"Hello Harry! How are you feeling?" Ginny asked with a happy smile, while Cassie ran to Harry's open arms, and hugged him strongly.
"I'm completely nervous… I'll be ok as soon as I see Jo!" he sighed, kissing Ginny's cheek in a brotherly way. "Cassie, you look beautiful today!"
"Thank you, Uncle Harry! I want my Daddy to see me in this green dress!" Cassie said, sounding extremely anxious.
Ginny shivered when she heard those words come out of Cassie's mouth once again. But she wasn't the only one to react. Harry became extremely pale, and his eyes opened even more in shock.
"What? Cassie… Ginny?" he mumbled, tongue-tied.
"Don't worry, Harry… She has spent the entire morning talking like that, saying that she would see her daddy today! She still hasn't accepted the truth…" Ginny apologised, picking Cassie from Harry's arms.
"Oh Merlin…" he whispered to himself as he received the new guests. "This is going to be difficult…"
Ginny walked gracefully across the green field and joined her family. Between hugs and kisses, she found out that Ron and Hermione would be marrying soon, and the happiness flooded through her, making her forget about her problems… for now, anyway.
"I've missed this place so much… This is the only place where I feel safe and happy!" Ginny said to Hermione, as they walked alone nearby the lake. Cassie was being entertained by Ron and the twins, and the girls were having a gals talk.
"I understand you, completely… I miss our meals together in the great hall, I miss the Library, I miss the friendships, I miss the corridors, I miss everything… Everything!" Hermione agreed, whipping a tear from her cheek.
"I wish I had never left this school… The real life is too hard. I wish I was a little innocent girl again!" Ginny sighed, trying her best not to cry, while she looked at the school's entrance. "Two years since I've been here for the last time… A lot happened since then."
"Yes, it certainly has. But you know what? Hogwarts will be here waiting for us, whenever we want to come back." Hermione smiled, watching their reflexes on the Lake's calm waters. "Look at us, I would never imagine us gathering here to testimony Harry's wedding. Everything will be fine, we just have to believe in our destiny, and try to build a beautiful future!"
"I hope they have better luck, than I had!" Ginny sighed, stopping on her tracks. "Well, we should go back, the wedding is about to start…"
The Great Hall was nicely decorated with flowers, and a red carpet along the corridor left unoccupied between two rows of chairs, for the guests. In the middle of the row of chairs, the entire Weasley family was already sat, and awaited for both girls. Ginny sat on the chair with her name, and the other two chairs next to her, were reserved to Julie and Mark.
"Good morning, Ginny!" a happy voice said.
"Hello Julie… You look gorgeous!" Ginny smiled, standing up to greet Julie and Mark, who held little Alex in his arms.
"Thank you, you look astonishing as well!" Julie laughed, bending to kiss Cassie's cheek. "Hello sweetie… You look very pretty in green!"
"Thank you, Aunt Julie…" Cassie said in a educated tone.
"That girl acts like a true Lady… Amazing!" Mark said, smiling.
"Only when she wants to, Mark! And here is my sweet Alex… Hello gorgeous!" Ginny whispered, holding the year old boy in her arms. "Can I hold him through the ceremony?"
"Of course, Ginny! Sometimes I think he likes you more than he likes me…" Julie complained with a gentle smile. "You are great with kids!"
"Well, Alex won my heart… When he grows up he will break every girl's heart in this school!" Ginny laughed, kissing the blond boy's cheek. "And if I had had a boy, they would both break the girls hearts… Just imagine! Two blondes, running around Hogwarts, sending smiles at those little girls…"
"Ginny, don't go that way…" Julie whispered, holding Ginny's hand between hers. "Look, here comes Joanne!"
Joanne walked into the Great Hall, and walked slowly to the altar, where a nervous Harry waited for her. She looked beautiful in her white dress, contrasting against the red carpet beneath her.
The next 45 minutes were of pure hell to Ginny. She wasn't witnessing Harry's wedding… She was reliving hers, two years back in time, in that same room, with that same people.
When the people started to leave the Great Hall, Ginny woke up from her thoughts, and realised that Alex had fallen asleep in her arms.
"Oh, Alex fell asleep… Here, let me take him off your arms! You must be tired…" Julie said, reaching for the boy.
"Julie, do you mind if I stay here for a few moments with Alex? I want to think a little…" Ginny asked. "I'll be out in a few moments."
"Ok, Ginny, just don't make yourself more unhappy than you already feel like!" Julie said, kissing her cheek. "I'm taking Cassie with me, alright? See you in a few moments…"
And there she was. Alone in the Great Hall, with the warm sunrays coming through the high windows, warming her and making her glow in the light.
She could hear the happy laughs outside, but she didn't move. All she could see right now, was the image of Draco, Cassie and her, standing at the Altar.
`I think we'll be very happy…' Ginny stated, kissing Cassie.
`I'm sure we will…' Draco corrected. `Weasel!'
`HEY!' Ginny yelled, laughing in his arms. `There will be no wedding night for you, little mister!'
`Oh, I think you're wrong! I know you can't resist me…' he replied, kissing her softly, in a promise of a long happy marriage.
Boy, were they wrong…
"Ginny?" a male voice said, from behind her.
That voice made her shiver from head to toes… Only one person was able to do that, and he was no longer among the living ones.
Refusing to allow her mind to play tricks on her, Ginny closed her eyes, and rocked little Alex in her arms, feeling the wonderful smell of baby powder, nappies, and that unique scent the babies have.
If she hadn't miscarried, her baby would be almost the same age as Alex. They would have been best friends; they would play together all the time.
After she had lost her baby, Ginny became attached to little Alex, and loved to be with him. She was lucky that Julie allowed her affection for the boy.
"Ginny, please!" the man's voice said once again. And once again, shivers ran through her entire body.
"Go away, you're not real, you're not here, and I'm hearing voices in my head…" she said, sounding hurt, standing up to leave the room. As she turned around, Ginny stopped abruptly, and her mouth opened in shock.
"I'm real Ginny," the man said, "and I'm back…"
"Draco?" she whispered, before she sat back down on her chair, shivering from the shock. The next moment, fresh tears spilled from her eyes, as she looked at the figure of the man she had lost two years ago.