Chapter Text
It was the Ministry Yule Ball, Harry and Hermione were both on the invite list as part of the ‘Golden Trio, unfortunately so was Ron. This could be an issue, Ginny considered as Ron had still not publicly admitted that Hermione had broken up with him. Ginny was no stranger to the Daily Prophet reporters, whenever she and Harry went out in public, reporters and photographers appeared from the shadows wherever they went in magical Britain. She decided to use these contacts and let slip that she had a society story that would be worth a few column inches.
At her next match, as the team were being interviewed over their victory over the Wolverhampton Wyverns and after she had discussed the many hoops the Chasers had scored along the way, she saw a face she hadn’t seen since her fourth year at Hogwarts. Daphne Greengrass, now the society page editor at the Prophet.
“Good afternoon Miss Weasley, a colleague mentioned you might have some news that I would be interested in.”
“I believe I have, Miss Greengrass, but please call me Gin. I wondered if it was common knowledge that Hermione Granger has dumped my useless brother Ronald after catching him, in the act, with Romilda Vane. She walked straight out and has not spoken to him since.”
“Really. You must call me Daphne. That is interesting Gin, he has recently claimed he is going to propose to her at the forthcoming Ministry Yule Ball.”
“That will not end well, he will possibly finish the night in St. Mungos. Hermione is my absolutely closest girlfriend, more so than my team mates and we are like sisters. Hermione, I can categorically confirm will not accept any proposal from Ronald, and may well do him permanent harm if he tries. As you may remember, my girl has a fierce temper, and she does not forgive easily.”
“Oh, Marietta. I remember. Did she ever reverse the hex?”
“After the battle, it was a time for forgiveness, but there is no forgiveness in her heart towards my brother.” She laughed, “Proposing to her, I will have to talk with her and Harry, they plan on attending together, I am bringing Luna Lovegood. Well we are all attending together, if you like. Ronald will not be at our table this year.”
“Are you and Harry likely to make any announcements in the near future?”
“I am not sure, Daphne. We have discussed it, but haven’t decided on the details. Harry is the head of the House of Potter, obviously, but also Peverell, and Black. We are trying to decide how to handle the three Houses. The House of Black is a bit of a responsibility, and I am not sure I want to the Lady of that House.”
Daphne laughed, “perhaps you will need to get him another wife, or two?”
Ginny grinned at the former Slytherin, “We have considered it. Off the record, it might be the solution. Crazier things have happened in my life, and much crazier in Harrys.”
Daphne cocked her head in thought, “It is still technically legal for him to take a wife for every House, I don’t think anyone has done it in recent memory.” She smirked, “I think if you let slip you needed a Lady for the House of Black a queue would form quite quickly.” She laughed out loud, “I might even join that queue.” She made a few notes, “Any other juicy gossip.”
Ginny smiled, “Well, I have it in good authority from Katy, that the Seeker for the Wyverns, the team we just played………”
Ginny walked in via the floo and called through the House to see where the others were. “Kitchen.” Came the distant response. She dropped her bag and made her way to the room to find Harry busy at the hob and Hermione sitting at the table with a pile of books. “How are my favourite people?” she sked and kissed each in turn.
“Fine thanks Gin, good match?” Hermione asked.
“Not bad, we won, but our score differential wasn’t as high as we hoped, what are you busy with?”
“Marriage Laws. Looking for a way to keep the House of Black going without being the Lady of that House, I don’t want the Wizengamot nonsense, either.”
“I might have an idea about that, but I think we should just leave it open for now, I was speaking to Daphne Greengrass today, she does the society page for the prophet, and told me that Ronald is planning to propose to you at the Yule Ball.”
“What!” Hermione shrieked.
“Exactly, I told Daphne that you had dumped him and why, so that will be in the press tomorrow, ‘sources near to the couple’ or something. I think we should make our relationships formal, if that’s OK with everyone?”
“So are you OK with me taking Peverell?” Hermione asked.
“If that is what you want?” Harry lifted the pan from the hob as set it aside. “He slipped his arms around Ginny’s waist, “Potter for you?” She nodded. “It’s always been my dream, even when it was just a little girl’s fantasy, but Yes I want to be Mrs Potter.”
“We have heirloom rings for both Houses, unless you want new ones making, or both?”
The girls giggled and exchanged a look, “we have already picked out the ones we want.” Ginny said with a smile. She turned and picked a slim box from the dresser, opening it she placed it on the table. She pointed to a gold band with a red gemstone, that’s mine. Next to it was a sliver band with a blue gem set in a ring of diamonds, “that is Hermione’s.”
Harry picked up the red and gold ring, “Ginevra Weasley, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife, Ginevera Potter?” she held out her hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger.
“Yes of course, now ask Hermione and all three of are going upstairs.” She gave him a slow kiss.
Harry picked up the second ring, “Hermione Granger, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife, Hermione Peverell?” As she held her hand to him Ginny held her hand as Harry slid the ring onto her finger.
Hermione stood and leaning over the table and kissed Harry. “Yes, to both of you. Ginny. I want us to marry as well, even if it is just a muggle wedding.” She kissed the girl.
“I would like that, I would like that very much indeed.” She smiled and looked at her ring. “Now bed, both of you.”
The four of them arrived at the Yule Ball, fashionably late, Luna had cried off, she had left for South America a few days earlier and sent her apologies. Ginny asked another girl along to fill the otherwise vacant seat. They made their way into the champagne reception, posing for Photographs, they had not officially announced the betrothals yet, but both ladies posed with Harry making sure the rings on their fingers would be visible. They stood for a picture one either side of Harry and both kissed him on the cheek to a few giggles from the watching throng.
They managed to keep to the opposite side of the room from Ronald until they were called through to sit and eat. The tables arranged around the memorial statue that replaced the aberration that had been in the foyer previously. They sat at Harry’s table, joined by Neville and Hannah, and Lee and Katy. The meal went well, and as the coffee’s and liqueurs were served, they spotted Ron standing at the table the Weasley’s had across the dance floor. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but Bill was holding his arm and shaking his head. Ron pulled his arm free and set off across the floor.
“Here we go, I hope my photographer is ready for the show,” said Daphne from her seat alongside Ginny. “as the song goes, there may be trouble ahead.”
Ron appeared alongside Hermione, on the opposite side to Harry, next to Neville. He dropped to a knee. The room fell silent in anticipation.
Hermione was the first to speak. “NO! Do not even think it Ronald Weasley. You betrayed us in the war. You were unfaithful to me, in our bed. I am DONE with you, leave, never attempt to speak to me ever again.”
Ronald was however made of stupider stuff. “Hermione, please, you are embarrassing yourself, just say yes and we can forget this.”
“Ronald Weasley! Look at my hand. It has a RING on it already. I AM GETTING MARRIED. You are proposing to another man’s future wife. I DO NOT want anything to do with you, now leave before I draw my wand, or worse for you, before Ginny draws hers. GO!”
The camera flashed capturing Ron’s bewildered face and Hermione’s hand held up in his face. He spluttered “Who?”
“None of your business, it is my life, and my choice. You are not part of either, now please go away.”
Bill took Ron under one arm, George the other and they semi-frogmarched him back to his table, red faced and confused.
“I am slightly disappointed, I was hoping for him to get turned into a duck at least.” Daphne muttered.
Ginny laughed, “There is still time.”
The band struck up and Harry escorted Hermione out for the opening dance, causing a round of murmurs as people put two and two together, but didn’t get three. At the end of the first dance, Ginny slipped into his arms and Hermione danced with Daphne, they swapped again and Harry whirled Daphne around the floor, “Not bad Potter, the girls have taught you some moves.” She quietly snarked in his ear.
“It’s Harry, may I call you Daphne?”
“You may Harry, and thank you for inviting me tonight, I haven’t had a decent night out in an age.”
“Well hold on, I think this one is going to get to be more fun, I think Ron is coming up to the boil, he should go off anytime soon, perhaps I should snog Hermione and Ginny on the dance floor. What do you think?”
“That should do it. You should kiss Gin first, so he is more surprised when you kiss Hermione, I wonder if they will kiss each other?” The dance ended and he took Ginny for a spin around the floor, pulling her in for a kiss as the music slowed, and another as the dance ended. Hermione slipped into his arms for the next dance, a slow number that saw the other girls head back to the table, with one eye on the Weasley table he pulled Hermione in and they kissed, the band played on but the room stopped and went silent. The kiss ended and with a grin they danced on as if nothing was amiss.
On cue Ron stood and exploded, the first minute of his rant was unintelligible. He then stormed across the room to find himself facing the wands of both Hermione and Ginny. He looked from one to another. “You knew!” he shouted at his sister. She smiled and held her left hand up, “I will marry him as well Ron. I am going to be Ginny Potter, she is going to be Hermione Peverell.” Ron’s mouth opened and closed like a beached fish, and he turned and stormed out of the room. The two ladies both kissed Harry on each cheek and the camera flashed once more.
A little later when they were sitting and the other girls had all checked out Hermione’s and Ginny’s rings, Daphne was scribbling away in her notebook. She bit the end of the biro she was using, “What about the House of Black Ginny, have you decided what to do about that?”
“We have, Harry is going to be a very busy boy, he is going to take a third wife, to be Lady Black.”
Daphne was scribbling away, “Can you give me her name?”
“Not yet Daphne, we are all in agreement about who we want, but the lady in question doesn’t know anything about it yet.” Daphne looked up at Ginny her face lost its mask for a moment, “although I think she is beginning to suspect.” Ginny smirked, “It may not come to pass, not many women will join, well a coven, for want of a better word.”
“No, indeed. It would be an unusual arrangement, but if the girls all get a long, I suppose it could work.” She paused in writing, “are you happy for me to print this?”
“Ask us in the morning Daphne, at breakfast.” A sly smile spread across Daphne’s face.
“Is Harry cooking?”
“If he can still stand.” Ginny replied. Daphne blushed.
Ginny stretched out the length of the large bed in the master suite of Potter Manor, recently fully refurbished, and the home to all of them. She could hear the shower running and guessed Hermione was in the en-suite. Laid next to her in the bed her husband Harry was holding his other wife around her shoulders as she snuggled into him She looked at her own body, her belly was showing now, all three of them were due within the same week, some five months hence. There would be children soon, Teddy was beyond excited, he and Andromeda lived with them as well, the rumbunctious four-year-old was a bundle of energy. She watched as Daphne opened one eye and regarded Ginny watching and smiled. It had been the best Yule ever two years ago, Daphne had joined them on an impulse after that ball and had never left.
Molly’s objections had dissolved the day Ginny had handed her the positive pregnancy test. Grandchildren, were too much for her to stay angry about, when she learned that both Hermione and Daphne would give birth around the same time, her reserves fell and she squashed her daughter in a fierce tear filled embrace. The good ship Granny Molly was in full sail and bearing down from the horizon.
Ron got Romilda pregnant and had to marry her, or pay a fortune in child support. They are miserable and hate the sight of each other.
Fleur is expecting her second with Bill, around the same time as the others. Hogwarts will be very busy in September 2015, Ginny pondered. Minerva will not know what to do, she looked across as Daphne still snuggled into the far side of Harry, “Harry, when the kids are older, you should go teach at Hogwarts, you were the best DADA teacher I can remember.”
“That’s because he is the one that made you wet your knickers every lesson, Red.” Daphne smirked.
“And yours stayed dry, Ice?”
“Oh no, I nearly wore my wand out after his lessons, we all thought Hermione was riding him ragged. How little we knew.”
Ginny laughed, “She is making up for lost time now.”
“Aren’t we all love. Aren’t we all.”