Lucy Riddle and the Boy Who Lived

The Wedding I

Chapter Twenty-Six

It's been a year since she'd last been at the Burrow. Lucy had been staying at her home with Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Antonin Dolohov. It was too dangerous for her to go to Hogwarts while Voldemort knew that she was alive. Her family had made a lot of precautions for that matter. No one was allowed to go in and out, with the exception, of course, of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger who visited Lucy as often as they could before they had to attend their sixth year.

They were the ones who kept her sane. Sure, Lucy loved her family, but when they start to argue all the bloody time, it was hard not to get annoyed with their presence. She couldn't watch her cartoons with her grandma (also known as Dolohov) when her mum was on a roll. She'd yell at everyone and everything when it was that time of the month.

She stilled remembered just last week when Lucy had accidentally knocked over her cup of milk and was forced to clean the toilet with her own toothbrush as punishment. Lucy obviously didn't use her toothbrush — she used Dolohov's.

Lucy was standing on the doormat of the Burrow, the Weasleys' household. She had been invited to Bill and Fleur's wedding. The nerves made her stomach churn. Lucy hasn't seen Fred in over a year, and she couldn't wait to see him. The wedding would be later this evening, and she told Mrs. Weasley to keep Fred away while she was here.

Molly Weasley opened the door, squealed, and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. She didn't release the poor girl as she said, "Oh, honey! I've missed you so much. Fred's with George trying to set up the tent, and Hermione and Ginny are upstairs getting ready. I'll bring you to them."

Lucy was still in her arms when Mrs. Weasley knocked on a door. She gave her a last squeeze and left for the kitchen. Hermione creeped the door a centimeter open before dragging Lucy inside the bedroom.

The three girls screamed and hugged each other. Hermione and Ginny were already dressed in beautiful gowns. Lucy clothed herself in her own dress, hoping the other two girls liked it.

"That is so beautiful on you!" Ginny squealed. "Let's put on some makeup and do our hairs."

That was something Lucy wasn't really good at, so she let her friends do that for her. It took a couple hours for them to finish everything, and by then, friends and family of the Weasley family were coming.

Lucy was sneaking around the place, looking for Fred. She saw him standing next to the boys — Harry, Ron, and George. They were showing the guests their seats.

"When I get married," said Fred, tugging at the collar of his robes, "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can wear what you like, and I'll put a full Body-Bind curse on Mum until its over."

Lucy smiled. I can believe that.

She was just about a meter away, ready to tap his shoulder, when something made her stop dead in her tracks. Before her eyes, she watched as a pair of French girls waved over to the group of boys, shouting, "Oh, Fred!"

George made a move to go over to the group, but Fred was faster. "Not so fast, Your Holyness," he said, darting past the gaggle of middle-aged witches heading the procession. "Here — permettez-moi to assister vous," he said to the pretty French girls, who giggled and allowed him to escort them inside.

She stared at the three departing figures. Did Fred, her Fred, just —

Hermione and Ginny were at her side, shaking their heads. Their hands were on her shoulder. The two girls shared a sad look and walked Lucy inside the tent.

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"You should make him jealous," Ginny suggested. The three girls were sitting at a table, drinking some apple juice Mrs. Weasley had given them while the adults had cups of wine. In the middle of the room, Bill and Fleur were sharing their first dance as a married couple. Fleur sent her a dazzling smile to which she returned. "That will show him who's boss!"

Lucy shrugged her shoulders, sipping some of her juice. "I don't know . . . what if I'm just overreacting?"

"Overreacting?!" Hermione shouted.

Ginny added, "You're not. You and Fred obviously have something going on, and he shouldn't be showing some pretty — sorry — French girls around when he has you."

"Go dance around and stop sulking. You can't let him get to you," Hermione said softly. Lucy put down her drink as the two girls pushed Lucy onto the dance floor.

She usually wasn't one to be rash about something, but her heart was tearing apart, and she suddenly felt adrenaline pulsing through her veins in the form of jealousy. Lucy decided that she will dance with another boy. She's going to show Fred that he wasn't good enough for her.

Lucy pushed her way towards the centre of the dance floor, looking around for a good-looking boy to dance with. All the men were wearing the colour black, making it harder to distinguish all the males from each other.

She saw a cute boy with sandy hair and a pair of dark green eyes staring at her. Lucy couldn't help but blush and walk over to him. He continued to stared at her ruthlessly. When she was just in earshot, he shouted, "Ey, what's a pretty girl like you dancing around here by yourself?"

She shrugged. "I was with someone . . . but he's dancing with another girl."

"Well, I'll dance with you. If you're willing, that is."

He grabbed her hand and twirled her around, the ends of her dress twirling with her. She laughed as she spun into his chest. Her hands were on his pecs, and her face in his neck. The heels she was wearing made her at least two inches taller than she actually was.

She grabbed his hands and placed them on her hips as a slow song started to play. In her head, she wished Fred was the one to hold her. She wished she could be dancing with that Weasel, but this boy was a great person and she didn't mind swaying with him.

She was actually having fun. Everything that boy said made her laugh. But Fred Weasley never left her mind.

As Lucy was about to ask his name, a pair of hands grabbed ahold of her waist and pulled her away.