I don't usually look for inspiration but I was stuck when I originally wrote this story for a wedding dress for Ginny. A lot of readers from fanfic.net were asking what it looked like, so I found this picture. Just copy and paste the link into your browser. http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=978&prodgroup=10
Now, on to the show….
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I Now Pronounce You…
"You know Ron, James is heavier right now than Marissa is," Ginny said holding her nephew while visiting Ron and Samantha's flat in London. "He's almost ten pounds and Marissa is a bit over nine right now."
"Yep, he'll make a great Quidditch player," Ron said through his mashed potatoes. Ginny and Draco had been invited to eat dinner with them and Draco sat in the arm chair half asleep with Marissa in the crook of his arm.
"Did you buy him his first broom yet?" Ginny joked, running her hand along his bright red hair causing him to stretch out his chubby legs then relax back into sleep.
"Not yet; Merlin, you're as bad as Charlie and Bill. They already asked me that…twice each!"
"He probably has one on order and just isn't telling us," Samantha joked and laughed as he turned red.
Ginny rolled her eyes and watched Samantha collect the dishes and take them to the sink. She sometimes forgot that Samantha wasn't one of "them"…one that could do Magic. She fit right in, got along famously with the Weasley's and had given them their first grandson to boot only two weeks ago. She was moving around well and only complained of trying to lose the weight she gained to fit into the dress that Ginny had picked out that weekend.
"Hey Ron, before you fall asleep across from my exciting husband-to-be, he has something to ask you." Ginny got up and laid James down in his cradle, seeing his blue eyes open and look at her as if to say 'Why are you putting me down? I was so comfortable,' but then the Weasley way won and he decided sleep was pretty important and closed his eyes again. On her way back she passed Draco's chair and tapped him on the head.
"What?" his eyes flew open and he looked up at her.
"You had something to ask Ron?" Ginny took Marissa from him and laid her in the cradle with James, although with her feet at his head.
"Oh, I have to get a picture of that!" Samantha gushed and ran for the camera on top of the fireplace mantel. She and Ginny walked over to the cradle, which was behind the sofa and talked quietly while Draco stretched acting like he had just had a fruitful nap.
"Your sister and I want you to be in the wedding, so will you stand up with Harry?" Draco asked flippantly.
"Harry?" Ginny asked, swiveling her head towards him.
"Harry?" Samantha echoed.
Ron was the only one who didn't seem surprised and he nodded yes to Draco. Ginny and Samantha stared at each
other.
"I thought you were going to ask Blaise?" Ginny asked walking over and sitting on the edge of the sofa.
Draco shrugged. "I know he'll be out of town for the next two months and I wasn't going to bother asking him to give up his trip to Japan."
"Just tell me where to go and when to be there," Ron stretched out on the sofa, putting his legs over Ginny's lap.
"March fifth, one in the afternoon, Malfoy Manor…and you'll have dress robes delivered here in the next day or two. Your mum gave my mum measurements or something," Draco clasped his hands on his stomach and Samantha came and sat in a recliner opposite Draco.
"Wonderful, I don't even need to go get fitted!" Ron sighed happily.
"Maybe you could come with me to my fitting, I'd love a guys opinion," Ginny said half joking.
"When hell freezes over," Ron said quickly and Draco quickly followed that up.
"When your mother stops cooking." Draco and Ron looked at each other and both started laughing, startling Ginny.
"What? What was that?"
"What's so funny?" Samantha demanded giving Ron a small slap upside the head when he didn't answer.
Draco sat up in his chair, looked at Ron then at Ginny.
"Well, when we were tracking the Death Eaters last year we'd get bored just sitting there at night, not moving, but having to stay up. So if we had enough of Chess, or whatever, we would try to think of things that would never happen in our lifetime."
"Like mum not cooking her own meals?" Ginny asked with a small smile and saw Ron nod from the corner of her eye.
"Hermione reading crib notes for a book," Ron said aloud.
"Or Ron not liking the Canons," Draco added quickly.
"Snape hugging Dumbledore."
"Charlie not liking Dragons."
"And many others that wouldn't be nice to say aloud," Ron laughed and Ginny stared at them, fully seeing some strange bond that had grown between her brother and Draco. They both acted as though it wasn't there, but for the past five minutes, she could see the respect and gratitude they had for one another.
"So, when did you ask Harry?" Ginny changed the subject.
"Today at lunch," Draco said meeting her curious gaze.
"Okay," Ginny said slowly, "…so I guess he can walk with Hermione and Ron with Samantha. Seems to work out well," she smiled and reached over to pat his knee. He grabbed her hand and held it for a moment.
Samantha stood up and walked over to a closet and pulled down a game.
"Ok, you two…time for me to teach you Monopoly," Samantha plopped the box down on the coffee table and Ginny stared at it.
"What do you do?" she asked and Draco grabbed the top as Samantha held it out to him; the directions were printed on the inside.
Ron quickly explained and said he had learned to kick Samantha's arse at it and she nodded slowly in agreement.
"I don't know what it is with him and games, but he has the best luck."
"He cheats," Draco said lightly.
"Then how come you beat me in Chess?" Ron snapped back.
"You beat him?" Ginny squeaked, taking the box top from him.
"In November…after about a hundred games…he beat me barely," Ron said darkly.
"That was just getting you back for letting me win our seventh year," Draco said and Ron opened his mouth to respond before Samantha clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Just pick a piece; Ron hand out the money and you two get ready to play," Samantha ordered. Draco reached out and grabbed the hat while Ginny grabbed the car, thinking briefly of her father and his love of cars.
Having Samantha for a sister-in-law had become very enlightening, especially to her father who always had a different question. And whenever she stopped by, she made sure she had some odd object for him. She had given him everything from a nail gun to a box of matches…and he loved it all.
Ginny finished reading the instructions and sat down on the floor so she was leaning against the sofa and took her turn first since she was the youngest, and resented that fact when Ron reminded her…so later in the game she placed a house on Park Place that she owned and collected money from him almost every time he rounded the board.
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March fifth dawned bright and clear as Ginny woke up in her parent's house in her old room. Marissa had stayed with her and Katharine had volunteered to keep the baby during the service, while Charlie ran around after the two year old twins who were all over the place lately.
Draco had stayed the night at Malfoy Manor along with Harry and Ron, and Ginny briefly wondered if they lived it up the
night before. She was so nervous she couldn't fall asleep and was up well past midnight. Thankfully, Marissa had
decided that she didn't need the two in the morning feeding anymore and now just woke up at midnight and five; then
usually fell back asleep until seven or so when Draco was up and moving around for his class.
"Ginny, you awake?" Hermione asked and Ginny mumbled yes, not wanting to unwrap herself from the warm bed clothes.
Hermione came in with Brian on her hip, wide eyed. He smiled when he saw Ginny and clamored for her, so Hermione set
him on the bed and Ginny sat up, letting him crawl all over her.
"Nervous?"
"Very," Ginny grabbed Brian as he tried to do a header off the bed. He squealed as she pulled him back and she saw him smile up at her and was immediately reminded of Harry's shy smile. Brian was the cutest looking baby she had seen, besides Marissa. His eyes were definitely Hermione's, and Samantha's, but everything else was Harry's. He was almost always in a happy mood, his hair was still short and always stuck up in the back like his father's.
"Well, Harry floo'd me and said Draco is nervous too, but won't admit it."
"Then how does he know? He can hide things pretty well," Ginny gently let Brian down off the bed and swung her bare legs out from under the sheet.
"Apparently he's pacing."
"Ah, yes. He does that when he's thinking deeply about something too…but makes me feel a bit better that he is nervous like I am."
"Well, come down for breakfast…I know you probably won't eat a lot but you do need to eat something," Hermione bent down to pick up Brian and Ginny did the same to Marissa who was quietly awake in her crib. She gurgled when she saw Ginny's face over hers and gave a quick smile. Ginny scooped her up and kissed her daughter's cheek, changed her diaper and clothes then joined the women in her life downstairs at the table.
"SO, in about five hours you'll be Mrs. Malfoy, how does that feel?" Katharine asked, relishing in the childless moment since Charlie was at home with Jillian and Cassandra.
"You know what made it real? Not even the fact that I have a wedding today," Ginny gave Marissa to her mother who set about making a bottle, then sat down herself, "but yesterday when he took me to all three banks he has money at and had me fill out paperwork to put my name on his accounts."
Hermione stared at her and Katharine looked blank for a minute then sat back as if someone shoved her back into her chair.
"THREE banks?" she gasped and Ginny nodded.
"Gringotts and two Muggle ones in London. One is money strictly for the hospital, but there are personal funds in the other two."
"Merlin…," Katharine breathed, her dark eyes wide and Hermione echoed her.
Samantha came down the stairs with James snuggled in her arms.
"Here, I need to hold a baby," Katharine got up and took her nephew from Samantha who thanked her sleepily.
"So, Hermione, how did YOU feel when Harry took you to add you to his bank account?" Ginny asked, sipping her juice.
Hermione twirled her fork in her eggs for a moment.
"Well, at first I didn't think it was really any of my business to know and didn't want anything to do with it. After all, it was HIS money. I had a job with St. Mungo's and didn't need any money, but after Brian was born it really hit me that it's for him and if something happens to Harry, I will probably need it for me to raise him. I don't think I have ever gone back to get any money out of the account. And, I only know how much is in there because Harry insisted on telling me."
"Yep, when I signed, I thought mainly of Marissa too. I'm not used to just going to the bank, getting out what I need and then go blow it on…something extravagant. I don't think I ever will be either," Ginny mused and took a bite of her eggs. She immediately pushed the plate away and took a bite of her toast instead. She remembered having to sit down as she had seen a high six figure number on the paperwork…and that was only at Gringotts.
They chatted amiably over breakfast, saying hello to Arthur as he scooted in for breakfast then headed back to his office upstairs to do some work, saying it was harder to follow a conversation among females than it was to read reports from the Ministry. He hugged Ginny and planted a kiss on all the babies' heads then headed upstairs.
"Well, we should probably start getting you ready," Hermione told Ginny who stated she needed to shower first, then she ready to start getting dressed, doing makeup then getting pictures taken. Since Colin had taken such brilliant pictures, she and Draco had asked him to take some photos, magical and Muggle for the wedding. The wizard marrying them was the same one that his parents used, since Ginny didn't have a preference. She couldn't wait to see what Malfoy Manor looked like. Molly had been over there yesterday and besides just being in awe of the sheer size of the house and the grounds around it she said it was beautifully decorated inside; "magnificent" was the word she had used.
For the next few hours Katharine watched the babies occasionally peeking in on Ginny who sat still as Samantha curled her hair and helped her with her makeup. Ginny sat not really thinking, hands clasped in her lap not quiet believing that this day was for HER and that she was making a vow to stay with Draco for the rest of her life. Three years ago she would have hexed someone who told her she would be marrying Draco Lucius Malfoy, then she would have had a good long laugh over it.
But, today she was.
"Ginny, Colin is downstairs to get pictures of you and Hermione and Samantha…I want some with all the babies too," Molly said, poking her head in the door and staring at her daughter.
"Come help me with this, mum," Ginny held her dress up over her stomach and chest then wiggled her shoulders so the dress would sit right. Her mother came and buttoned up the back.
She had picked a gorgeous cream colored dress that fell to the floor in waves, it was sleeveless and had a simple design on the bodice. There was fine gold thread throughout the bodice and many buttons up the back which her mother used magic to button.
"You look beautiful," Molly whispered squeezing her daughter's arms.
Hermione and Samantha were in their room putting on their emerald green bridesmaids dresses.
"Thanks," Ginny breathed not really recognizing herself in the mirror. Her hair was curled on top of her head with a few wisps down around her ears. Draco's diamond earrings he had given her adorned her ears and the matching necklace he had given her the night before was draped around her neck. Ginny met her mother's eyes in the mirror and she could see her struggling not to cry.
"I need my shoes," Ginny whispered feeling emotions overtake her too. Her mother turned around and found her matching half inch heel shoes near the bed and brought them over to her, helping her slip her feet inside.
"How am I supposed to walk in this and not trip?" Ginny twirled around a bit to see the train behind her.
"Very slowly and carefully. We can bustle up the back after the wedding so you can dance and walk around freely," Molly ran a hand down her arm and held her daughter's perfectly manicured hand for a moment.
"Thank you for trusting me…with Draco I mean. I know it was hard for you and dad at first to accept him with…everything that had happened in the past," Ginny squeezed her mother's hand.
"It was, but over the years we can see that he is totally the opposite of his father. We just wanted you happy and you are, so that's what counts," Molly leaned up and kissed Ginny's cheek then helped her out the door and down the stairs for pictures.
Colin proceeded through the photo session like a pro, telling them where the best light was to stand and he also took a picture of each of them with their child. Hermione with Brian dressed in a little wizard robe, Samantha with James in a navy blue shirt and pants and Ginny with Marissa in a pink lacy dress and head band.
It was time.
At 12:30pm, they all apparated to Malfoy Manor into a guest room upstairs where Narcissa was waiting for them.
"Ginny…oh how beautiful you look!" she came over and for the first time in awhile hugged Ginny, hard then stepped back to look over her.
"Oh, how my son will fall over when he sees you," she squeezed Ginny's hands and Ginny squeezed back, seeing Katharine let in Fleur who gushed as well. After kissing each of Fleur's cheeks, the young mother's surrendered their children to Katharine and Fleur, diaper bags and all and turned towards each other.
"Well," Ginny said and glanced over towards the door where Molly was talking to someone through a crack in the door.
"Ginny, your brother wants to see you. Hermione and Samantha can you go get the flowers in the next room, please," Molly stepped back and in came Ron, who kissed Samantha complimenting her then stopped short when he saw Ginny. Molly and Narcissa joined the bridesmaids to get their bouquets.
The youngest Weasley's stared at each other. Ron in his black tuxedo…Draco liking how they looked rather than the dress robes. She had never seen him in anything like it and he looked so much older it was all she could do to not cry.
"You…," was all Ron could get out and Ginny smiled blinking back tears of her own.
"Yeah," she whispered. "You too," she said and she walked over to him putting a hand on his shoulder admiring his tux.
"I like the tuxedo on you," she felt him reach up and take her hand, his grip unusually firm as he tried to reign in his feelings.
"All eyes will be on you, not me," Ron said smiling down at her.
"I should've gone with you to see you at the store in that dress."
"Why?"
"Then I could've told you that Draco will practically fall over when he sees you…we don't need any
embarrassing moments today," Ron carefully hugged her and she kissed his cheek.
"I can't see him falling over."
"I've never seen him more nervous, so who knows?" Ron winked at her then turned as the girls and Arthur came back in.
After some fussing and a few tears from Molly and a kiss from Arthur who seemed to be having trouble talking everyone walked out to their seats except for the three girls.
"Ok, Ginny…I hear the music. Sam first, then me, then you…slowly down the stairs and into the…," Hermione started.
"I know," Ginny said and hugged her, then Samantha. She thanked them and they walked out to the hall and stood at the top of the stairs.
Ginny could see the last row of guests through the banister and into the formal living room that had been turned into a ballroom for this occasion.
"We love you," Hermione whispered and they each took one of Ginny's hands and squeezed them. All she could do was nod and watch Samantha proceed down the staircase, Hermione following her and Ginny stayed alone at the top, waiting for her song to begin…Pachelbel's Canon in D. And when she heard the first chord she slowly and carefully made her way down the stairs. Her simple flower bouquet in one hand and her other clutching the banister tightly.
As she touched the last step she saw her father standing at the bottom, his arm held out for her to take. She smiled at him and they began their slow walk up the aisle between the two sides of the room. She secretively glanced to her left and saw Professor Snape sitting there, to her right she saw Professor McGonagall and Lavender next to her. Then she turned her eyes forward and felt rather then saw Draco staring at her. Harry stood next to him and Ron next to Harry.
Draco was a tux as well, but what was different about it, she couldn't tell. She just knew that he looked handsome and very debonair as he watched her every move. Seeing a movement behind him, she saw Professor Dumbledore sitting off to the side. He was going to say a few words before the Wizard (who was going to perform the ceremony) began his speech.
Ginny couldn't really remember hearing the instructions for her father to present her to Draco. She felt her father kiss her on the cheek and felt Draco take her hand. He looked calm but the way his hand gripped hers she could tell he was nervous too. For a second as the Wizard came to stand before them they stared into each others eyes and she could see what he saw, and she realized for once he was at a loss for words. As they turned to face front Ginny caught Harry's eye, and he smiled at her and she gave a small, nervous smile back to him then looked up at Dumbledore as he began talking about how love can overcome anything, referring back to the rocky past they had at Hogwarts.
As they said their vows in quiet voices and nervously slipped the platinum wedding bands on each others fingers Ginny could hear the shuffles of the crowd, the occasionally noise of one of the babies and her nieces and she could hear someone blow their nose. She was staring at Draco, their hands together, the Wizards over theirs as he went through the last part of the marriage vows, and she heard the last line that was said in weddings all over the world, "And now, you may kiss the bride."
Draco smiled at her and she grinned back, trying not to smile as he kissed her softly on the lips, hands still together. The music started up and as they turned around, hand in hand everyone began clapping and standing up. Ginny was not used to having so much attention on her and could feel herself blushing as she walked in front of Harry and Hermione to the back of the room and into the foyer.
She and Draco went over and stood by the stairs and Ginny let out a big sigh.
"The party has just begun," Draco said wrapping an arm around her waist.
"And with this lot, it'll go on for hours and hours," Ginny laid her bouquet on the stairs and flexed her fingers.
"You look magnificent, even better than that but I can't come up with any other words to describe you," he said seriously his grey blue eyes traveling over her dress and then up to her face again.
"Thanks. Maybe sometime, a looonnggg time from now, Marissa can wear it," Ginny smiled at him and he smiled back, reaching up and touching her hair then cupping her face. Their moment was interrupted as guests started filing out and coming over to the newly married couple and hugging, shaking hands and just offering congratulations in general.
It took another hour just to get the room cleared and ready for the reception as the guests milled around the house, talking and eating finger foods. Marissa ended up in Draco's arms as Katharine went to help Charlie with the twins who had found the piano. The Grangers were having fun with Brian while holding his hands as he toddled around the house and Ginny just stuck to Draco's side.
She met friends of his mother's she had never seen before and had a short conversation with Professor Snape about what she was doing now at St. Mungo's. She remembered him looking at Marissa in Draco's arms then up at his former student, as if he couldn't quiet believe that this little baby was Draco's.
During the first dance with Draco, she was reminded of the first dance they shared years ago during Halloween. She felt safe and happy with his arm around her and for some reason she just couldn't look away, totally in awe that she was now his wife and from the way he looked in his fancy black tuxedo…she couldn't wait until they got to their honeymoon spot that night.
She also shared a dance with her father, all her brothers, Harry, John Campbell, Tom McEwan, Blaise (who had apparated in for a few hours) and then only one more with Draco as they had managed to get separated making their way around the crowd, talking and dancing with other friends and family. The tables where they had eaten were cleared for a large dance floor and it was hilarious to watch Jillian and Cassandra out there making up their own dance and Colin had managed to capture some funny shots of them dancing.
By the end of the evening, close to seven that night, Ginny's shoes had come off and Draco's bow tie had been abandoned…and both had drunk their share of champagne. They each had gone upstairs with the wedding party and changed into more comfortable clothes after the guests had left. Ginny had taken down her hair and brushed it out, still very wavy from the curls that Samantha had done with a Muggle curling iron. And, with the help of her mother and friends she brought her luggage down to the foyer, seeing that Draco was already down there, giving Marissa her last bottle of the evening.
"When she's done, we can go," Draco said from his spot in the living room. He was wearing a pair of tan pants and a black shirt and it was strange to see a wedding ring on his finger. He caught her looking at the hand that was holding Marissa's bottle and winked at Ginny which caused her to laugh, never having seen him ever do that before. She turned as she felt a hand on her elbow and saw Narcissa standing there asking if there were any last minute instructions on Marissa. She said that she knew where they would be staying and would only contact them if there was an emergency. Ginny felt fairly confident that between her new mother-in-law and all the other women she knew, Marissa wouldn't even notice that they were gone.
Draco watched from his spot in the chair as two of the three women now in his life chatted. Ginny was as tall as his mother and he never thought that he would see his mother this happy and excited to have two "new" people in her life. He wasn't sure whether to curse his father for having suppressed this Narcissa for the time that they were married, or thank him for helping them move on with their lives and realize that it was much more fulfilling and, for lack of a better word, fun to live on the positive side of life.
He heard Marissa stop sucking and she turned her head away from the bottle, refusing to drink the last of the four ounces, so he sat her up against his hand and patted her gently on the back, her eyes closed and it didn't take long for her to burp loud enough that Narcissa and Ginny glanced over at her, smiling.
"That would come from my side of the family," Ginny said shaking her head, then turning back to Narcissa, rehashing the wedding and how lovely it was. The floating candles, the green ivy that was wound around the banister…everything that she had ever dreamed had come together in one day for her.
Draco moved Marissa slightly and she opened her eyes. He propped her up on his leg which was crossed over his other knee and looked at her. She was filling out and getting the little rolls in her arms, legs and under her chin, but it still amazed even him that someone he helped make had his exact shade of blue eyes and was so cute. Marissa stared at him, locking her gaze with his and she wiggled for a minute then smiled up at him. Unable to resist he smiled back and ran a finger down her cheek then grasped her tiny hand. She moved her identical gaze from his face and turned her head slowly trying to locate Ginny's voice.
"Gin, she's looking for you," Draco said in an amused voice and saw his wife turn around and walk over,
her face lighting up as she caught sight of Marissa looking in her general direction.
"Hey, cutie," Ginny cooed and as she leaned down to take her from Draco's lap he caught a whiff of her flowery scent…that hadn't changed which he was glad for. He was still getting used to being a father and now a husband and he was happy that some things remained the same. Standing up he put his arm around Ginny's shoulders and kissed Marissa' head.
"We should get going," he whispered in Ginny's ear causing shivers up her spine.
"Alright," she agreed and kissed Marissa who was now closing her eyes, ready for her bedtime.
"I'll take her and have her to bed in a few minutes," Narcissa came over and Ginny handed her over, feeling a pang of sadness and unease for leaving her baby in the care of another for the first time. "She'll be fine. I think Katharine is bringing the twins over tomorrow, so she will have some entertainment."
Ginny nodded and watched her husband go over to their bags and saw them disappear, no doubt waiting for them…where ever that place maybe. Ginny was intrigued to see where they were going. He had done such a good job of picking the beach two Christmas's ago that she didn't question him when he asked her where she had wanted to go. She told him to chose a place; he was more worldly than she was.
Another kiss to Marissa and a final hug to his mother, Draco took Ginny by the hand, double checked to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything and disapparated from the foyer of his mother's home…to begin their first night has husband and wife.