CLXXXIV. THE WEDDING CRASHERS

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It was evening, and the wedding was in full swing. Mia was wearing a beautiful cream dress with embellishments on the top with cream coloured heels. Her hair was left down and wavy with simple, yet effective makeup on. Hermione was wearing a floaty, lilac-coloured dress with matching high heels; her hair was sleek and shiny as the two girls walked into the tent together. 

The band was already playing and Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor first, to great applause; after a while, Mr. Weasley led Madame Delacour onto the floor, followed by Mrs. Weasley and Fleur's father. Fleurwas wearing a very simple white dress with black lace design and seemed to be emittinga strong, silvery glow. While her radiance usually dimmed everyoneelse by comparison, today it beautified everyone it fell upon.

"He's looking," Mia said, a sly grin on her face as she looked at Hermione.

"Who?" the brunette asked as Mia looked at her like she was stupid.

"Look up," the ginger said. Hermione looked up and a small grin grew on her face when she saw Ron was staring at her, and her alone. Hermione went pink as Mia grinned at her. "Go get him."

Mia grinned as Hermione beamed at her as the ginger girl went to grab a drink and find her brother. She walked past the crowd and found her brother leant up against one of the golden pillars, watching Ginny who was now dancing with Fred and George's friend Lee Jordan.

"You alright?" Mia asked.

"Yeah," Harry said as he looked at his sister. "You?"

"Been better," she admitted. 

She had never been to a wedding before, so he could not judgehow Wizarding celebrations differed from Muggle ones, though shewas pretty sure that the latter would not involve a wedding caketopped with two model phoenixes that took flight when the cakewas cut, or bottles of champagne that floated unsupported throughthe crowd. 

"You miss him, don't you?"

Mia looked at her brother and saw he was looking at her with a knowing look.

"I know I shouldn't'. . . ."

"It doesn't matter," he said as Mia looked at him, slightly confused.

"What?"

"I've seen the way you look at him, Mia," Harry said, "and regardless what my feelings are towards him, I can see he makes you happy. If you're happy, I'm happy." Mia smiled lightly as she looked at the crown dancing. 

"It doesn't matter anyway," she said as she sighed, "I don't even know if I'll ever see him again."

"If it's meant to be, it will," Harry said as Mia smiled at him, "you'll see him again."

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As the evening drew in, and moths began to swoop under the canopy, now lit with floating golden lanterns, the revelrybecame more and more uncontained. Fred and George had longsince disappeared into the darkness with a pair of Fleur's cousins;Charlie, Hagrid, and a squat wizard in a purple porkpie hat weresinging 'Odo the Hero" in a corner.

"Luna, hi," Mia said smiling as the young blonde approached her. Luna was wearing bright yellow robes, which shehad accessorised with a large sunflower in her hair. Once you gotover the brightness of it all, the general effect was quite pleasant.At least there were no radishes dangling from her ears.

"Hello Mia Potter," Luna said with a dreamy smile. "You look very pretty."

"Thank you," Mia said smiling, "I love your dress." Luna smiled sweetly at a man walked towards them. Slightly cross-eyed, with shoulder-length white hair thetexture of candyfloss, he wore a cap whose tassel dangled in frontof his nose and robes of an eye-watering shade of egg-yolk yellow.An odd symbol, rather like a triangular eye, glistened from a goldenchain around his neck.

"Xenophilius Lovegood," he said, shaking Mia's hand. "We live just over the hill."

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," she said smiling as her brother went and sat with Elphias Dodge. 

"I trust you know, Miss. Potter," Xenophilius said, "that we at The Quibbler, unlike those toadies at The Daily Prophet, fully supported Dumbledore in his lifetime, and, in his death, support you and your brother just as fully." 

Mia looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you," Mia said smiling, "it really means a lot to us."

"Anytime Miss. Potter," Xenophilius said, "our door is always open to you."

Mia smiled and walked towards her brother who looked like he had something to tell her.

"What's up?" she asked. Harry did not know where to begin as his sister looked at him, but it did not matter,at that moment, something large and silver came falling throughthe canopy over the dance floor. Graceful and gleaming, the lynxlanded lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Headsturned, as those nearest it froze absurdly in mid-dance. Then thePatronus's mouth opened wide and it spoke in the loud, deep, slowvoice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. 

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. 

Mia and Harry jumped to their feet and drew their wands as Mia's eyes went red as Hermione ran towards them. Many people were only just realizing that something strange hadhappened; heads were still turning toward the silvercat as it vanished. Silence spread outward in cold ripples from theplace where the Patronus had landed. 

Then somebody screamed. 

Mia, Harry and Hermione threw themselves into the panicking crowd.Guests were sprinting in all directions; many were Disapparating;the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken. 

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "Ron, where are you?" 

As they pushed their way across the dance floor, Mia sawcloaked and masked figures appearing in the crowd; then she sawLupin and Tonks, their wands raised, and heard both of themshout, "Protego!", a cry that was echoed on all sides. . . .

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione called, half sobbing as she, Mia and Harrywere buffered by terrified guests: Mia seized Harry and Hermione's hands to makesure they weren't separated as a streak of light whizzed over their  heads, whether a protective charm or something more sinister hedid not know.

And then Ron was there. 

He caught hold of Hermione's freearm, and Mia felt her turn on the spot; sight and sound wereextinguished as darkness pressed in upon him; all she could feel wasHermione's hand as he was squeezed through space and time, awayfrom the Burrow, away from the descending Death Eaters, away,perhaps, from Voldemort himself.

"Where are we?" said Ron's voice.Mia opened her eyes. For a moment she thought they had notleft the wedding after all. They still seemed to be surrounded bypeople.

"Shaftesbury Avenue," Hermione said, "I used to come to the theater here with Mom and Dad. I don't know why I thought of it. It just popped into my head."

"Let's get a fucking move on," Mia said, looking around and feeling uncomfortable with all the men staring at her. 

"This way," Hermione said.

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