In the Melancholy Moonlight, Part 5: Dark Matter

Chapter 248: I'm Born to Run

A/N: Everything about this is sad. Everything about this is stressful. This time just before they leave for the Camping Trip of Doom hurts. I'm sorry. But, true to form, there are still little moments of life and love even when everything sucks. The next chapter is Claire, and the chapter after that is the Battle of the Seven Potters, and then everything really begins to take off. Thank you for being here week after week, I appreciate it more than words can say. Love you all, enjoy. <3

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LUCY:

I knew I wouldn't be able to talk freely to Hermione and Ron when Ginny was the only other person in the house, so I opted for a distraction instead in the hopes that Ron and Hermione would get the chance to talk freely. As soon as Hermione sent off the patronus to the twins, I made one comment about how much I missed Quidditch, and Ginny had dragged me outside to the broom shed mere seconds later. We were still in the sky when the wedding guests began to arrive, Henry and George first followed by an intoxicated Fred and even-more-intoxicated Archie.

Henry and George joined us in the sky, looking remarkably sober.

"Did they run out of firewhisky, or — ?" I asked.

George grinned. "Very funny. No, I just had too much coffee this morning and we both wanted to be sober so we were as observant as possible anyway."

"And? Did you observe anything noteworthy?" Ginny pressed.

"I filled her in on the gossip surrounding the invitations," I explained. "She was relieved that she wasn't the only person who found it strange, since your parents were so overjoyed by it no one else dared to suggest anything other than excitement."

"They were barely together after the ceremony," George said in a low voice.

Henry nodded emphatically. "We happened to be talking to him when a slow song started, and he looked rather sad for a moment."

"Almost like he was wishing it was his wedding with someone else?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not here to make assumptions," Henry replied, ever the diplomat, "just to report my observations."

"Well someone ought to start making assumptions so we can find out if they're correct or not," Ginny muttered.

All three people turned to me, and I held my hands up. "What? Why me? I'm not going to try to pry into his relationships!"

"Oh, come off it, we're talking about your relationships," Ginny said. "How's Harry doing?"

I rolled my eyes. "The sooner we get him out, the better. The fact that apparating and the Floo network are compromised complicates it, though, I know, it's just — the sooner we get him out, the better. Any word from any higher-ups in the Order about when exactly we're all going to meet to discuss it, now that the wedding is over?"

"Soon," George assured me. "They're trying to figure out how deeply the Department of Magical Transportation has been infiltrated before any plans are made. I reckon Remus and Tonks will get a couple days to enjoy their newfound wedded bliss before anyone tries to make any official plans, but people are gathering information."

"Would me bothering people about it at family dinner tomorrow be helpful or harmful to the cause?" I asked. "I don't mind being Harry's advocate a second summer in a row. I can be a pain in the arse for him, no problem."

"Dumbledore's the only reason he was there as long as he was last year," George said, fixing me with a pointed look.

"It's complicated," I muttered. "So with Dumbledore out of the way, would me being a menace be beneficial or not?"