The Luckenbooth

By: lbfan

Disclaimer: I don’t own Harry Potter or the creative world the books created. This is for entertainment only. No profit will be made from this.

Chapter 11 – Romance Her

The Easter Holidays marked a celebration. That Tuesday, Harry, Ron, George and Neville Apparrated to a pub on the edge of Godric’s Hollow. There they boarded an opened-top carriage that sent them on a processional trek to the village’s church. Residents of the village lined the street and waved as they passed by. Harry, in his finest robes, waved to many of the friends he remembered meeting over the year.

The carriage stopped in front of the stone church with tall stained glass windows. They walked up the steps to the tall wooden door. The anticipation of the moment was beating in Harry’s chest. He was a mess, but the other three kept him on schedule. George took it upon himself to lighten the mood with a sly comment every so often. The four of them filed into the church, lining up on the right side of the altar.

Standing in the front, Harry started to appreciate all of the hard work and planning that went into the event. The remaining Weasleys were seated on the front row on the left side of the church. Even little Victoire was quietly resting in Fleur’s arms. On the front row of the right were Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Mrs. Tonks with Teddy, Professor McGonagall and lastly Hagrid on the end. Behind them were Dennis and the rest of the D.A. and the Order. The community of Godric’s Hollow seemed to fill in the remaining seats.

The carriage returned to the pub and picked up the Molly, Arthur, Ginny and the bride maids. They too were greeted with waving hands from the villagers as the carriage carried them to the chapel.

Everyone stood as Molly entered. She was escorted to her seat on the front row. This seemed to symbolize the start of the ceremony. Following her, Luna, Astoria and Hermione each made their way to the front. They stood opposite of Harry’s groomsmen on the left side of the altar.

The music changed to the wedding march. That is when Harry saw the beautiful bride at the end of the isle. He gasped at her beauty. The anxiety of the hours seemed to melt away at her sight. Her arm was wrapped in her dad’s, as they marched down the isle to meet them.

The Muggle vicar, who served the community, officiated the ceremony in the typical Muggle way. He had done a few magical weddings, but this was to be his first where the bride and groom were betrothed. So when Arthur offered the hand of his daughter to Harry, the official and many of the audience gasped at the glow that magically illuminated from their clasped hands.

The vicar began by explaining to the audience the meaning and seriousness of the ceremony. It was as if no one knew. It didn’t matter, because Ginny and Harry seemed to be already lost in each other’s eyes and were only half listening. A nudge from Ron was required to pull them out of their stupor. The vicar talked them through their vows and started rambling off about the symbolism of the rings. Hermione cleared her throat in time for Harry to pick up his queue. The rings. He patted his pocket and looked back at Ron. Ron was no help, as he shook his head.

Andromeda Tonks cleared her throat to get Harry’s attention. That is when he remembered. She placed Teddy on the floor, and Harry called for him. Teddy obediently toddled over to Harry with a small pillow and ring tied to his arm. Harry removed the old worn-treaded ribbon, slipped the ring onto his pinky. He gave the pillow and Teddy’s hand to George, and returned to the ceremony at hand.

Ginny had wide eyes as she noticed the ribbon sticking out of his pocket. She looked back Harry in question, and he nodded. It was the same ribbon he took from her the day after the battle. How it was worn implied it was wrinkled and rubbed a lot. He repeated the words of the vicar. “With this ring, I thee wed.” He slipped the wedding band and engagement rings onto her finger.

Ginny was able to repeat the words back to process back with him. Hermione proffered the wedding band with no delay. “With this ring, I thee wed.” She slipped his wedding band onto his hand.

The vicar smile as the glow started to intensify. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

This was the moment he had been waiting for since his eyes first saw her that day. His memories flashed from the jealous moments with Dean; to the Amortentia potion; to Quiddich victory hugs; to the common room kiss; to the birthday kiss; to the betrothal ceremony; to the reunion; to the first time they slept together; and then to the engagement. It all led to this. He leaned close and sealed his life, his love, with this one kiss. It was soft, passionate, long and perfect in every way. The glow that had been glowing about their hands engulfed their whole bodies and shined brightly. When they broke apart, applause sounded from all around.

The vicar introduced them to the audience, “I now give you Mr. Harry James Potter and Mrs. Ginevra Molly Potter. The honorary Lord and Lady of Godric’s Hollow.”

Harry grimaced at title. He and Ginny walked out the front of the church and greeted everyone as they left. The reception was held in the village park in front. With the help of fairies, the weather was perfect and the flowers were all in bloom.

As the wedding reception started to slow down, Ginny and Harry were resting their feet, seated at a table with bride maids and groom men. Astoria was telling them what she had learned from her former sister Daphne. “After being betrothed to Pansy for years, Draco broke it off with her. He’s now shacking up with a Hungarian hottie that went to Durmstrang. Pansy’s miserable. She’d expected to marry into money and be set for life.”

Ginny shrugged and sipped more wine from her glass. “She deserved what she got. I noticed her looking up untraceable poisons in the library. She said it was to kill me, but I know it was for later in life. Anyone could tell that she loathed Draco behind his back.”

Harry raised his glass. “Another reason to say good riddance to betrothals.”

Hermione raised her glass in agreement. “Here, here.”

Ron looked at her in question. “Why do you say that? Haven’t you noticed we’re the only couple at the table who isn’t betrothed?”

Hermione looked at him. “Exactly, and it is going to stay that way. I don’t want that Luckenbooth on my skin.”

Ron gave her a funny look, and then turned to face Ginny. “How come you still have the Luckenbooth still on your wrist anyways?”

Hermione interrupted the explanation. “Hey Ron, I think that there’s still cake left.”

Ron gave her an irritated look. “There’s no cake left, I checked. Mum put a ward around the topper said that I couldn’t touch it.” George and Neville chuckled to themselves.

Ron was going to ask again when Harry explained, “Your dad said that it will go away tonight.”

Ginny gave her husband a murderous look. “It better, Mister.” Hermione and Astoria giggled at the implication. Everyone except Ron seemed to understand that it was waiting for the marriage to be consummated.

Ron just ignored the confusing behavior. At least Luna had a reason to stare off grasping at nothings floating around. “I just figured that the betrothal would be over once the ceremony was over.”

Harry gestured to the other two couples at the table. “It will be for them.”

Neville started to get up. “I wonder if there’s more punch.”

George gave him a calculating look. Astoria just settled for glaring.

Having to wait that long, made Ginny was bitterly blunt. “Their Luckenbooths have already turned blue,” she answered as if it should explain everything.

Ron shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”

Hermione patted his hand tenderly. “Don’t worry dear. I’ll explain it to you when you are older.” To change the subject and get Ginny off her irritability, she asked her, “Do you still have those letters stuffed under your mattress?”

Ginny paled.

Astoria brightened. She found her revenge. “Oh, I know those letters. Dear Ginny, I can’t stand being apart from you...” She burst into a fit of giggles as Ginny’s pale complexion turned strawberry red. “Oh, I really like the one where he says, Your betrothed is the luckiest man in the world.”

Harry looked confused. Who would be writing her?

Ginny collected her composure. “The actual words were: …congratulations on your betrothal. Tell him that I know he’s the luckiest man in the world.” She saw his confusion. “They’re your letters, dear. I kept them all.”

“You didn’t destroy them?”

“Try more like cherished, treasured or coveted,” Hermione poked in for fun.

Ginny glared at Hermione and Astoria. “That was my room. Don’t I deserve some privacy?” The three of them seemed to slip into the role of sisters as they snipped back and forth.

Harry pulled his bride away. “Come on, Mrs. Potter. It is time for us to go.”

Despite she was about to make another biting remark, she stopped speechless and looked at him with eyes of pure adoration. She was sure that she wouldn’t ever tire from hearing those words.

When they were all ready, she threw the bouquet over her shoulder to the waiting maidens. It somehow found Luna’s hands among the throng of shrilling girls. With ooh’s and awe’s, eyes suddenly turned towards Neville. He reached for another shot of Firewhiskey and gave a nervous smile.

Harry and Ginny said their good-byes and hurried out to the waiting white convertible in the road. As people waved, the couple found themselves in a rain of apple blossom petals the fairies enchanted to fall.

On the back of the white convertible a sign “Just Married” was hung as with noise makers. They settled into the back seat while a chauffer hopped into the driver’s seat.

Ringing of wedding bells seemed to have sounded from all over the village as the slowly progressed through the streets lined with people waving their greetings. As they reached the end of town, the car lifted off the ground and passed back over the town airborne. The noise makers on the back of the car fell off and turned into fireworks as they speed across the sky. The bride and groom gave one last wave goodbye as the car rocketed forward at high speed. With another press of a button, the chauffer sent the car through a port key like gateway taking them to another part of the world where it was early afternoon again.

After classes on the first day back from the holidays, Harry found the study room full of students. As it seems, the students who were present were more interested in his and Ginny’s wedding and honeymoon more than revising for their exams.

A large group of students he considered friends were seated around talking as he shared his experiences from the last week. Ginny arrived in the room with Rachel and Gretchen.

Soon the three of them joined the conversation. Ginny relished the opportunity to show the absence of the Luckenbooth from her wrist. Harry rolled his eyes.

Shortly afterwards, three guys angrily strode into the room. The dark haired wizard pointed to a table in the corner, and the others left to claim the spot. He turned and marched up to Gretchen pulling on her arm with a tight grip. “Gretch, come with me.”

“Ouw, you’re hurting me! Let go!”

Ginny growled at him, “Davis, what’s the problem?”

“Shuddup Weasley, Private business. Move it, Cauldron Arse.” The name must have been his attempt at a term-of-endearment for Gretchen.

Gretchen tried to pull her arm free and stay. “Let go, Davis. You don’t own me anymore.”

Ginny pulled out her wand. “It’s Potter now. Stop this right now. What’s the deal?”

Harry had come around the table and grabbed his shoulder. “Gretchen, is he bothering you?”

Davis glared at Harry with disdain. Ginny wanted to hex him for that alone.

Gretchen wrenched her arm free from the grip. “Daddy recently broke off our betrothal. He’s been trying to talk to me, but there’s nothing I want to say to him.”

“You can’t just break it off, you bint!”

Rachel sarcastically remarked, “And that’s your idea of begging her back into your life?”

Davis snapped at her. “Fuck you.”

Harry shook him. “That’s enough from you. Rachel’s right. That’s no way to treat your betrothed girlfriend or ex. Her dad’s right to call it off if this is the way you treat her.”

Davis pointed at Gretchen. “She owes me for the years she benefited from the protection.”

Everyone but Gretchen stared at him dumbfounded.

She snapped back, “Oh, like I’m sure your father would return my dowry to me. I played the role of devoted girlfriend for too long.”

Ginny scoffed at the comment. “Without love, the betrothal protection would have been for naught.” She inadvertently captured everyone’s attention. She looked around and saw questioning looks. “In the seventh year Dark Arts class, Carrow taught how to break contractual protections like the betrothal makes. Sure it would have been named Davis’s child, but she still could have been raped.” Giving her husband soft eyes she added, “It takes a strong wizard who is constantly thinking loving thoughts to keep the protection strong.”

Harry pulled Davis away from the group and towards his friends. “The way I see it, you are the one who defaulted on the contract for not cherishing her. You should give her dowry back to her dad.”

Davis jerked his shoulder away from his guiding hand but kept walking towards his friends. “I’m not the one who broke off the betrothal. She’s not getting a Knut.”

They arrived at the table where his two friends sat glaring. Harry continued, “Then you better work on being sweet towards her. She has made it clear that she’s not going to marry you. The only way you can get her now is to romance her.”

Davis scowled.

The taller of his friends spoke with his deep voice. “We’re Purebloods. We don’t romance our girls, they come to us. We are just supposed to marry who we are given.”

Harry sighed. Running a hand through his hair, he responded, “The time for betrothals is over, and the rules have changed. If you have a betrothal and you want to keep it, you should show her that you love her. Otherwise, you should look for a girl you fancy and ask her to date like the others do.”

Davis complained. “I don’t want a different girl. I just want Gretchen.”

“She won’t make a good wife for you if she doesn’t love you. Besides, wouldn’t you rather have someone else like…Stacy?”

He looked at Harry with a gaping mouth. “You know about Stacy?”

Harry gave him a tired look. “It seems the whole school knows about Stacy.” The other two friends looked away uncomfortably. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She a Half-blood. Dad would kill me.”

Harry scratched his head. “Well you didn’t seem to mind when she was in the library. Does your dad’s feelings really matter that much to you?”

Davis glared at him. “What if it does?”

He shook his head. “Nothings wrong with honoring your parents. You just need to look around for other Pureblood witches which are available. Just like Gretchen, others are getting out of their betrothals. I know Malfoy found a Hungarian witch, and he was smart enough to dump Parkinson.”

He noticed they were staring at him. “Sure, I know. I said something kind about him. It is rare, but even he can’t help but do something right once in a while.”

They were creepy how they kept staring. “So, who wants to have a go at asking Parkinson on a date?”

All three of them scowled at the thought.

Later, Harry returned to the table with his friends and wife. “Gretchen, if you ever want help recovering your dowry back, let Ginny or I know. We have a good friend who is studying law. She could set you up with a good solicitor.”

She shook her head. “I’m just happy to have that bloody Luckenbooth off my wrist.” They could tell that she was thinking about it.

It was June. Harry and Ginny had just arrived at Kings Cross Station at the end of term, and Ron and Hermione had just picked them up from the station. Hermione told them that they were expected to stay at the Burrow that night. Their new home wasn’t ready to be seen yet. The fact was neither Harry nor Ginny had seen their new home since the Winter break when it was just a foundation on a barren plot of land.

Now the four of them were walking up the drive to precariously built farm house. Hermione asked, “How did you feel you did on the NEWTs?”

Harry shrugged. “I probably did well enough to pass, but I only sat for three of them; Transfiguration, Charms and Defense. Ginny here was the one you should ask, she sat for most all of them.”

Ron gave his sister an incredulous look. “That’s thick. Why would you do that?”

Before she could reply, Hermione snapped at him. “Ron, just because you take the easy way out by avoiding education doesn’t mean everyone has to. There are some people who value academic achievements…”

“Enough!” Ginny interrupted. “It has been a long train ride. Could the two of you wait until later to continue this foreplay?”

Harry laughed at the expressions Ron and Hermione were giving. Ron turned bright red, while Hermione was speechless.

They were nearing the front of the home. Ginny explained more. “While Harry was out doing all of his apprentice studies and responsibilities, I remained in the study room. The study room soon became the place of choice for the seventh years to revise for the NEWTs. So whether I was interested in the subject or not, I often found myself involved in the revising. Because of that, I took most of the tests. It is better to take them and fail, then not take them at all. The only problem was the Herbology practical which I’m certain that I messed up on. Reading doesn’t replace the hands on experience you get in class.”

Ron shook his head. “What do you hope to do for a career that would require all of those NEWTs?”

She shrugged. “Nothing for right now. I just want to enjoy having my husband around for a change. Perhaps after the summer, I may consider volunteering in the village.”

He looked at her in disbelief. “Mental, bloody mental.”

Both Hermione and Ginny smacked him in the arm and glared. Harry laughed.

They paused as they stood at the door step. To Ginny, it seemed odd. For the first time in her life she felt foreign at the Burrow. It was no longer her home.

Ron pushed open the door. “Just don’t stand out there, come in. It is not like you need an invitation.”

Hermione followed them in. “Just remember it is only for tonight. They said that everything will be ready in the morning. They are expecting you at 11:00.”

Harry too was nervous. He asked Ginny, “I assume we’re staying in your room again?” The situation from winter break was still fresh in his mind.

Ginny grabbed his hand. “Where ever we’re sleeping, it will be together. Otherwise, we’ll be staying at the inn.”

Hermione gasped at her. “Of course, you two are staying in Ginny’s room. Astoria and Marion are staying in George’s flat above the shop. Your mum hasn’t given your room away…yet.”

Ginny sighed as she thought about it. “It’s for the better anyways. After tonight, I won’t need it anymore. We should try to fix it up as a stay-over room for Victoire.”

“Or any other Weasley/Potter girls we procreate.”

Her eyes went wide. “Are you telling us something?”

Ron was grinning ear to ear. Hermione answered with an eager node and a goofy smile. She held up her left hand to show off the ring.

Ginny squealed in excitement and hugged Hermione. Harry patted Ron’s shoulder and gave his congratulations. Then the two swapped, so Harry was hugging Hermione.

He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “S’about time. I give you my blessing, oh sister of mine…Don’t screw it up.” She laughed. He kissed her on the cheek. “If you ever need anything…” He looked at her in the eye to communicate his sincerity. He brushed a happy tear from her cheek with is his thumb. “I want you both to be happy, and this is really brilliant. Congratulations.” She hugged him so tightly; it rivaled Mrs. Weasley’s. She released him, and he kissed her on the forehead.

The four of them sat down in the living room. Ron asked Harry, “Are you really done with the apprenticeship?”

Harry nodded. “They suggested a few Muggle uni classes, but claimed I’m fully prepared.”

Hermione leaned forward. “What are you going to do now?”

He hugged Ginny who was snuggled next to him on the couch. “I’ll still work at the Wizengamot to change more of the laws, but for short-term, we are going to settle into our new home together.” Always staying with others, it seemed surreal to say the word. He looked at his wife who met his gaze. “Our home.”

She must have had a moment of empathy because she leaned forward and kissed him. She put his hand over her heart. “You never needed a place, it was always here.”

His eyes glistened as he nodded. “Always.”