Legitimement Maries

Au Milieu D'un Hiver Massaude

Au milieu d'un hiver maussade

In the bleak midwinter

The remainder of the Weasley Weddings passed relatively quickly. Hermione noticed that time tended to speed along when you least wanted or needed it to.

Being around the other family members was becoming almost unbearable, and Hermione could see that she was not the only one that was feeling it. Tempers seemed to be shorter than Ron's pyjama pants.

Despite the omnipresent tension, everybody managed to get everything done for each of the weddings. Indeed, the time it took for everyone to get ready on the day of a wedding had significantly decreased. There were far fewer individuals bumping into each other on the stairs owing to the sharp increase in practise they were getting.

Even though everything was running like clockwork, Hermione still felt an enormous sense of dread and apprehension. When she thought about everything that was going on, she would often liken it to being sentenced to the gallows. It began with a long walk while being watched by hundreds of people, to a man dressed entirely in black. It was almost sure to end her life as she knew it; its effects were permanent, and completely undesirable. Worst of all was that Hermione felt as though there was no one that she could talk to. After all, who would want to listen to her moan and groan about her own misfortunes when everyone that she saw was happy? They were looking on their wedding day as one of the best days of their lives. Hermione could not say that she felt anything along those lines.

It was only during the brief lull after George and Angelina's wedding, that any light was shed on the matter. Ginny and Hermione were sitting cross-legged on Hermione's bed, facing each other and chatting, just as they always had done, even during the easy days of Hogwarts. Hermione would always inwardly scowl whenever she thought about the fights she had had with Ron, or the times when she would worry about her grades. It all seemed so easy, and completely irrelevant to her now.

"I've lost count of the number of silencing charms that people had forgotten to put up around her in the last few days alone!" Hermione patiently explained to her friend, "Who's going to want to sit and around and listen to my whining?"

Ginny had turned a very faint pink colour at Hermione's first comment, but Hermione apparently did not seem to notice it. She was far too busy nervously picking the lint from the corner of her quilt to notice anything.

"You know," said Ginny, as she returned to her normal colouring, "there is one person that you can talk to about your wedding woes."

"Who?" asked Hermione, looking up suddenly, blinking rapidly like she was looking directly into the sun.

"You can talk to Fred, you know, your fiancé," Ginny replied as though she were speaking to someone who was very simple.

"Oh," said Hermione, instantly deflating.

"What do you even talk about when you go to other people's weddings? The weather?"

She gestured towards the sludge that was mashed onto the ground thanks to the slightly warmer air of spring. Hermione shrugged her shoulders at this.

"We mostly talk about wedding stuff. We both liked the candied wedding favours at Neville and Hannah's, so we are using something similar for our own. Fred wanted to make them at the shop," said Hermione frowning slightly at the last part of what she said. "But I absolutely refused to take the chance."

Ginny had grown very impatient with Hermione by this point, and cut her off rather abruptly.

"Hermione, can you tell me what Fred's favourite food is?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

"Favourite colour?"

"No."

"Can you tell me anything about my brother?"

Hermione looked over very meekly at Ginny.

"Ummm...he co-owns a joke shop...he has a twin...named George...and you're his sister."

Ginny shook her head in complete exasperation and annoyance.

"Hermione, you have to talk to him. Who knows, you might find that you have something in common after all."

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Fred Weasley had a problem, and for once in his life there was no magical solution to it. He could not avoid it.

The problem in question had a mind of its own. Literally. It walked, it talked, it ate, it lived and it breathed. It even had a name: Hermione Granger, soon-to-be Hermione Weasley.

He did not know what to do. He did not know what to say. Should he even say anything at all?

She couldn't possibly feel the same way that he did. Especially, when she so vehemently opposed the law, and was very careful to avoid him at all costs. All that they had talked about was stupid wedding details.

What colour should the flowers be?

Did he want little tartlets or sausage rolls as h'ordeuvres?

Like all the family weddings before them, they would be getting married at the Burrow. That was one thing he was very glad to have sorted out early on. He could not even fathom the thought of having to search for a place with Hermione providing constant commentary about the pros and cons of each place.

She drove him crazy, in more ways than one.

"Hey, Fred, can I talk to you for a second?"

Fred looked up to see Hermione approaching from the house. Great, more talking.

"Sure Hermione," he replied, putting down the bunch of flowers that he had been arranging for the wedding.

As Hermione got nearer, he noticed that he was paying attention more to the things that made Hermione herself. The way in which she would knot her fingers together when she was unsure about something. Or perhaps, slightly more noticeable was the way that her hips would move as she walked, or the way her lips moved when she spoke.

"The arrangements are looking very nice," she complimented Fred when she had reached him. "You seem to have a great talent for flower arranging."

Fred shrugged.

"It's not so much that it's flowers, but rather the overall art of it. Did you know that George and I designed all the packages and displays for the shop?"

"I didn't know that. In that case, you must get a lot of designing practice."

"It's how I make my living," he replied, "but I assume that you didn't come out into the snow just to admire my earth-shattering skills."

"You're as modest as ever, but you're right. I came to tell you that I received a letter from my parents today. They'll be arriving tomorrow for the wedding."

Despite their playful comments earlier, she gave Fred a beady stare.

"It will be the first time that you have been properly introduced to my parents. Promise me that you won't play any pranks, or do anything stupid?"

"Err...sure."

Hermione visibly relaxed, shoulders drooping down as the tired muscles let go. Fred noticed this and desperately wished that he could do something that would allow her to relax. But he had never given her so much as a neck rub, and he thought that in the present climate, such a thing might seem a bit too forward.

"Good. They say that they're taking the news of our 'marriage' well, but we'll only really know when we see them."

"Uhh...ok."

"I'll let you get back to the flowers, they really do look nice."

Fred stood there, ignoring the flowers and smiling inwardly, as she retreated back to the house.