After trying on two others - a light blue that was said to be Harry's favorite, and a green for the color of his eyes - Ginny had picked a light, white sundress with pale flowers she hoped would make her look bride-like. She looked at herself in the mirror. Had she always been so pale? Ginny pinched her cheeks to bring more color to them.
She looked at the small clock on her desk. Harry should be here any minute. Ginny had no idea exactly when he would arrive, but she had to assume the worst. She had hoped to have time to pick flowers for an impromptu bouquet - wildflowers to suit her nature - but now didn't think she'd have the time. 'I've got to make a good impression, ' she reminded herself for the thousandth time. Maybe she should change back to the blue?
'No, ' she thought. 'White's good, white's pure, white's virtuous.… White makes me look so pale,' she whined to herself.
Deciding it was too late to change again, Ginny darted out of her room.
"Oi!" Her brother Ron said as she knocked him into the banister on the stairs. "Watch it! Where are you going all dressed up?"
"Nowhere, go away," Ginny groused as she headed to the kitchen.
Ron may have invited Harry but she certainly didn't want him to ruin this for her. Today was the day she fixed what went wrong last year at the train station. 'Gone is the little girl, ' she thought. 'Today I'm a young woman. '
George whistled when she entered.
"Will you take a look at her?" he asked, tossing a Quaffle back and forth from hand to hand.
"What's got you all gussied up? Lil' miss expecting a suitor?" Fred asked hefting a beater's bat threateningly.
"What? No!" she said a little too quickly before shooting them a look that said Don't you dare threaten my Harry.
"Oh boys, honestly," her mother said, coming through the kitchen with a load of wash to hang on the line outside. "It's not a crime for a girl to look nice from time to time. Leave her alone."
"Thanks, mum," Ginny said embarrassed, wishing they would all leave the room too.
She may never understand why her mother insisted with line drying the wash when magic was more convenient, no matter how often she said it 'smelled clean.' At least it got her out of the room. Ginny thought she'd make a horrible housewife. 'I can learn, ' she thought to herself. 'I can learn for Harry. But I have to get him first. '
Ron came through with another beater's bat in hand and her brothers turned to go with identical shakes of their twin heads. Ginny shook hers right back. If Ron thought he was going to be anything other than target practice for their apple-shaped Bludgers today then he was sadly mistaken.
Before they could even reach the back door the fireplace flared to life like a brilliant emerald sun.
'This is it!' Ginny thought as suddenly all the air seemed to leave the room at once. She felt light-headed. 'Don't pass out. Don't pass out, ' she chanted to herself as her entire world seemed to narrow to only that bright green flame.
Harry Potter stepped jaunting out of the flames in his stylish shoes as he shook off the dust of his latest adventure. Wind seemed to ripple around him as the flames died down; his handsome robes billowed behind him.
"Harry?" twin voices asked astonished.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"You invited me," Harry smiled.
'Oh how he smiles, ' Ginny thought as she gazed in wonder at the dream made flesh.
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Ron asked, still perplexed. "Did dad come and get you?"
"No, I came from Gringotts," Harry explained. "Didn't Lichfield tell you I'd be here?"
"Not to us he didn't," George said, giving Ginny a look.
'Lichfield,' Ginny thought as she tried to catch her breath. 'Lichfield the litigator. He should be right behind. '
"Mum! Harry's here!" Ron called to her.
She eyed the fireplace apprehensively as the others talked. 'Oh why couldn't dad be here so this could be done with?' she lamented, eager to start her new life as a soon-to-be-wife.
"Did someone say Harry?" her mother asked as she came back inside. "Oh, Harry! It's so good to see you…"
Moments passed and still no one else had arrived. Was there something wrong with their floo?
"Merlin!" her mother cried. "I've got the wash on the line." She bolted back outside to hide the offensive laundry from their company. Ginny didn't know how much more embarrassment she could take.
'Please don't let this go wrong!'
"Ginny!" her mother cried. "Ginny, come get your knickers!"
Ginny's world went black and she vaguely had the sense of falling. The poor girl fell to the floor with a thump.
.....
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