Harry Potter and the Stranded Mists of Spring

Chapter 31 - Unexpected Guests

Harry and Ginny accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Weasley back across the lawn to the white wedding tent which defined the reception area for Ron and Hermione's wedding. They fell in easily beside the bride and groom where they stood beside Hermione's parents, greeting their many guests. Ron glanced at Harry as he did with a questioning expression. Harry replied with a vague shrug and a nod, silently assuring him he'd fill him in later. Meanwhile, friends and other people neither Harry nor Ginny had seen in a while were filing by, including to Harry's astonishment, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. A girl Harry didn't know held Draco by the arm.

"Did you invite them?" Harry asked Ron as quietly as he could.

"Not exactly, but Hermione didn't want to make a scene ... another scene," Ron hastily amended.

"Yeah, Mum and George already did that," Ginny told him.

Ron rolled his eyes as if to say, what could we do? There was just no stopping Mrs. Weasley when it came to some things.

"Yeah, okay. I get that. But what are they doing here?" Harry wondered.

"There's no telling," Ron told him, eyeing the Malfoys as suspiciously as Harry.

"There are no wards up to keep them out," Hermione informed them.

"But how did they find out? Was your wedding publicized somehow?" Harry asked.

"It was in the Prophet, Harry," Ginny pointed out. "Didn't you see it? On the social announcements page."

"I don't normally read that page," Harry admitted.

"Then you can hardly complain you didn't see it," Hermione all but scolded.

Harry did his best not to frown. He really didn't want to mar his friends' wedding day, and from what he could see, so far having the Malfoys here wasn't causing much of a problem.

"Who is that girl with Draco?" Harry asked, his eyes still following his old nemesis from his school years.

"Her name is Astoria, Astoria Greengrass," Ginny told him. "She's Daphne's little sister."

Harry considered the witch by Draco's side. She was as pale as he was, and thin, but she had long, silky looking, flowing dark hair, a distinct contrast to Draco's blonde, neatly trimmed hair. She wore well cut robes, consistent with a pure-blood wizarding family of a certain status, and in that sense, she looked perfect for Draco. But unlike Draco, or even his mother, who's expression had softened some since the war, she had a kind face. Harry didn't recognize her, but he thought she was probably with them at school, perhaps in Ginny's year or a year behind her. Draco looked like he was happy to be with her and very cordially greeted both Ron and Hermione, introducing them to Astoria, much to the couple's surprise.

That wasn't the end of the surprises though. Harry looked down the line of red-headed Weasley relatives waiting to congratulate the bride and groom. He didn't expect to know most of them, though he'd been introduced to some when Bill and Fleur were married just before the war. But one person standing amongst them he did know. Rupert Fletchley stood with a dark- haired girl Harry didn't know, surrounded by Ron's relatives. He talked with them easily, and Harry doubted they knew he was a Muggle.

"Rupert, it is good to see you again," Mr. Weasley greeted the young man enthusiastically when he and his date grew close to the wedding party.

"Hi Mr. Weasley. It is good to see you too," Rupert replied. "This is my girlfriend, Alex. Alex, these are the Weasleys, the people I was telling you about."

"It's nice to meet you," Alex said politely.

"Alex, is it?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously.

"That's short for Alexandra," Alex explained.