New years
The Burrow was a riot of noise and laughter. It was New Year’s Eve, but that didn’t matter much. Harry and Ginny had come up with a plan for a “wedding,” though not the kind you’d expect. There were no fancy dresses, no wedding vows—just a lot of laughter, some poorly applied makeup, and far too many mismatched clothes.
Ginny had found an old, white sheet in the attic, and after some quick work with a pair of scissors and a ribbon, she’d fashioned it into a “dress.” It was the kind of thing you’d wear to a costume party, not a wedding—but for them, that was the charm.
Harry, on the other hand, had borrowed one of Sirius’s old, oversized shirts, and with his jeans rolled up, he looked more like a runaway circus performer than a groom. His hair was unstyled, and his face was dotted with a bit too much glitter—thanks to the enthusiastic efforts of Ginny and Marlene.
Marlene, not to be outdone, had also dressed up—though her version of wedding attire was a tutu and a tiara she found lying around. She looked like a fairy princess who’d lost track of time.
The invitations had been simple—nothing formal, just a few hand-drawn cards with crayon scribbles that read, “Harry and Ginny’s Wedding—Come Join the Fun!”
At the Burrow, everyone had gathered. Fred was somehow the “officiant,” though he had no idea what he was doing. He stood at the front, wearing a ridiculously large bow tie and an expression of absolute mischief. “Alright, everyone! We’re gathered here today for the least serious wedding in wizarding history,” he announced, holding up a piece of parchment he’d clearly written himself.
Ron, standing awkwardly next to Harry as his best man, looked like he had no idea how to act, but his face was lighting up with a wide grin. He couldn’t help but laugh as Fred continued with his unintelligible “ceremony.”
“Harry,” Fred began dramatically, “Do you take Ginny, dressed in that stunning sheet, to be your wife? To share all of her ridiculous ideas, to laugh at her pranks, and most importantly, to survive her cooking?”
“I do!” Harry said, trying not to burst into laughter, his oversized shirt slipping off one shoulder.
“Ginny,” Fred went on, “Do you take Harry, in that hideous jacket, to be your husband? To share all of his ridiculous plans, to laugh at his disasters, and to always, always fix his hair when it gets out of control?”
“I do!” Ginny answered, throwing a wink at Harry, her sheet dress shifting slightly as she did.
“Well then, by the power of Chocolate Frogs,” Fred declared with a wide grin, “I pronounce you husband and wife! You may now—uh—do whatever you want. Just don’t break anything!”
The room burst into laughter, clapping and cheering, and Harry and Ginny shared an awkward, yet sweet hug. The whole thing was silly, but it was perfect for them.
Marlene and Ginny immediately started throwing confetti everywhere, giggling. Ron, trying to keep up with his role as best man, handed Harry an empty glass of pumpkin juice as if it were some kind of ceremonial goblet.
“We should probably do the kiss thing, right?” Harry said, looking around at all the laughing faces.
Ginny nodded and, with a mischievous glint in her eye, kissed him quickly on the cheek, causing an eruption of cheers from the group.
“Speech!” Fred yelled, clearly enjoying himself.
“Uh… I don’t know what to say,” Harry said, looking around at all the laughing faces.
Ginny, never one to leave things quiet for long, grabbed the nearest cake knife and held it up triumphantly. “Let’s just eat cake, shall we?”
The table was laden with a mishmash of desserts, all courtesy of Mrs. Weasley, though it seemed a little more chaotic than usual—because Fred and George had sneaked in a batch of their new “exploding cupcakes” that were causing a few minor explosions of frosting.
Sirius, who had shown up as the “dad figure” of sorts, gave a wink and a thumbs-up, as he and Remus tried to hide their amusement.
“Oh, this is perfect,” Remus said, his voice filled with a hint of fondness. “No one could do a wedding like this except Harry and Ginny.”
Sirius chuckled. “I thought it would be all glitz and glamour, but this… this is far better.”
As the evening wore on, the children—Marlene, Ginny, and Harry—ran around causing mayhem, while the adults tried to pretend they weren’t still laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing had been. But, of course, it was exactly what Harry and Ginny wanted—a wedding that wasn’t really a wedding at all. Just a celebration, filled with love, chaos, and laughter.
The night ended with everyone dancing—well, most of them were stumbling, but that’s what made it fun—and Fred somehow managed to get his hands on a guitar, leading a very off-key rendition of “we wish you a merry chrismas.” It was a mess, it was far from conventional, and it was perfect.
And Harry, in his ridiculous oversized jacket, couldn’t stop smiling.
As the clock struck midnight, Harry and Ginny sat quietly for a moment, watching as their parents and uncles exchanged stories and made promises for the year ahead. The chaos of the night—the laughter, the mischief, the hugs—felt like a perfect reflection of the love that had always surrounded them. In the midst of it all, there was a sense of belonging, a sense of home that would never fade.
Ginny turned to Harry, her face glowing in the soft light of the fireplace, and smiled. “Happy New Year, Harry.”
“Happy New Year, Ginny,” Harry replied softly, his heart full in a way he’d never known before. The years ahead would be filled with their own challenges, their own adventures, but tonight, there was peace—there was love. And it was enough.
As Fred and George, still grinning, exchanged a final round of jokes with Ron and Percy, the fireworks outside painted the sky in brilliant colors.