Finding Neverland | George Weasley ✓

Chapter Eighty-Four

  The tent erupted into loud applause. However, it didn't take long for the reception to begin as all the tables and chairs were cleared away with the simple wave of a wand allowing the guests as well as the newlyweds to dance. 

Thea stuck close to the wall, hiding partially from view, near where a large array of foods sat. She had never been a big dancer and anyway it all looked too crowded anyway.

"I thought I would find you here." 

Thea looked up to find Hermione standing near her. "Hiding are we?" Hermione teased.

"No, not at all, what gives you that impression?"

"Well, maybe because you are clinging onto that wall like it's your life support while sticking close to the food, seems like an ideal place to be."

"I'd have to agree with you there, although it's not like I have anyone to dance with."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Hermione said before disappearing back into the crowd.

"Wha-" Thea asked in confusion before her shoulder was tapped. Thea quickly spun around her hair slapping the person across the face who was standing in close vicinity to her.

"Elliot!" Thea cried happily. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."

"It's nothing to worry about Thea."

"I didn't even know you were coming!" Thea claimed. "You always manage to sneak up on me." 

"Well, Molly came and invited me a few days ago and I simply couldn't miss it."

"Wow, you clean up nicely," Thea said admiring the outfit that Elliot was in.

"As do you. However, may I perhaps have this dance, m'lady." Elliot replied before bending over dramatically holding his hand out. 

"You know I don't really dance, Elliot."

"Oh, nonsense. Just one dance, after all, we could act like idiots up there and no one would care. How about we introduce to the world the 'Elliot and Thea Dramatic Tango'?"

"Oh god," Thea said, pulling her hand over her face as she remembered the afternoon where they had both been tired of studying so they had tried to teach themselves how to tango. Well, short story short it had consisted over plenty of falling over, dramatics and laughter. "You know what fine," Thea said. "I am so going to regret this."

But she didn't. There was no other feeling than dancing like lunatics with your best friend while everyone around you is slow-dancing. It had, after all, attracted them plenty of attention. 

Fred and George Weasley sat at one of the tables, discussing the ceremony. 

"It really was a beautiful ceremony although I'm not entirely sure it was worth all that work we put in this morning." Fred had started looking over to his twin. 

George nodded his head in agreement, his eyes never leaving where Thea stood dancing with Elliot in the middle of the dance floor. Whilst everyone slow-danced around them, they seemed to be trying to attempt the tango, striding across the dance floor confidently as everyone around them gave them dirty looks. But they didn't seem to care as they laughed their way through the entire thing. 

Fred had looked over to his brother, searching for the reason behind his lack of response when he followed where his brother was looking before he realized why.

"Ok then."  Fred started. "Alrighty then, I'm going to go find Ginny and see if she wants to dance. But in the meantime...George?"

George slowly looked up at his brother. "Yeah?"

"Do try not to stare too hard."

Eventually, Thea was all danced out and was going to get a drink when she saw Fleur sitting at a table with someone she vaguely recognized. Quickly, deciding to go over there and congratulate the woman, Thea quickly made her way over. She was a few meters away when Fleur noticed her, quickly waving Thea over, she invited her to sit with her and the familiar stranger. 

"It's good to see you, Thea. You remember Viktor Krum, don't you?" Fleur said. Thea's eyes widened slightly when she realized how good Fleur's English had gotten, the accent was still slightly there but Thea's brain no longer had to work double time just to decipher what she was saying. "He was the Durmstrang champion for the Triwizard Tournament.

A lump in Thea's throat quickly formed just like it did whenever someone brought up the Triwizard Tournament. But Thea took a deep breath, she could do this.

"Yes, I do. It's lovely to see you again, Viktor. I don't know if you recognize me still but I'm Thea Diggory."

"Of course I recognize you, how could I not," Viktor replied. "I'm afraid I never received an opportunity to comfort you on your loss."

"It's quite alright, Viktor. I have eventually come to terms with it. My brother, I mean Cedric will always be with me, guiding me through my life. Not a day goes by when I don't think of him but I'm sure he is looking over us all right now, smiling down at us." Thea said, surprising even herself when she said Cedric's name.

After going through the loss of Cedric and trying to live every day with the grief, Thea had eventually given up even trying to say Cedric's name as it often brought her too much pain. Even those closest to her had picked up on this, often referring to Cedric as 'Thea's brother' instead of using his actual name.

"I'm sure, Cedric would be very proud of you, Thea," Fleur said smiling warmly at the slightly younger girl.

"Thank you, Fleur. Congratulations on your wedding, by the way, this reception is utterly stunning."

"Thank you very much, Thea. That means a lot to me." 

Thea quickly waved goodbye to both Fleur and Viktor, walking through the crowd trying to find Elliot or anyone else she knew. However, as she apologized to the people she accidentally bumped into she could feel someone's eyes on her. She looked up quickly searching for the person when her eyes fell on George who was watching her. Thea quickly met his gaze as the two looked at each other for a brief second before they both looked away. 

Thea continued to try and find someone she knew when all hell decided to break loose.

Amidst the happy occasion, Kingsley's Patronus had shown up causing everyone to freeze and the tent to fall silent. 

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