It had not been Ron’s idea to wait for intimacy until he and Hermione were married. Harry wasn’t sure it had even been Hermione’s, there was no way he wanted to know. But the fates, more commonly known as Molly Weasley; had conspired against Ron and Hermione and they were yet to consummate their relationship.

Ron had proposed to Hermione on Valentine’s Day and before Harry knew it he was being dragged to robe fittings and consulted about tablecloths. It wasn’t until Harry realised that his dress robes were trimmed with some sort of fluffy lining, which Ron assured him was <i>fake</i> fur because Hermione wouldn’t have it any other way, that Harry realised it might be a bit much for a late June wedding.

“Er, mate, aren’t we going to boil in these?” Harry had asked, fingering the collar. Ron had looked at him incredulously.

“You want to freeze your gear off then?” he stared at Harry. “I don’t fancy wandering around in Brass Monkey weather without a bit of protection thanks very much. I’d have to spend all night thawing my gear instead of putting it to use.”

“Well it looks like you’re getting married in the Himalayas mate,” said Harry, hastily skipping over the reference to Ron’s sex life. “British weather isn’t this bad in summer.” Ron had shaken his head sadly.

“Have you even read your invitation mate?” he asked. Harry shook his head.

“So what am I missing then?” he asked impatiently.

“The wedding is in the Snowfields,” said Ron patiently, “Australia’s snowfields.” Harry just stared at Ron.

“It is?” he asked weakly.

“It is,” Ron confirmed before elaborating. “Hermione wanted a winter wedding, she wanted to get married in the snow and well, winter was sort of over by the time we started planning it. She suggested we wait until next winter and threatened to set the date at Valentine’s Day!”

“What’s wrong with that?” asked Harry as they shed the robes and handed them to the assistant to pack away.

“She has also decided that since we made it this far we are going to ‘keep ourselves’ until the wedding.”

Harry gave Ron a look of deepest sympathy. They paid for their robes and collected up the packages, continuing the conversation as they stepped outside, into Diagon Alley.

“I suggested a June wedding,” said Ron. “I heard they are like this popular Muggle tradition but Hermione wants snow. I can’t figure it out. So she says no to June … until I convince her that if we get married in Australia in June she can still get married in the snow.”

“That’s …”Harry trailed off, speechless.

“So, the wedding’s in Australia,” Ron said simply. “In the snow, so we have fur lined robes; with fake fur.”

“Right,” was all Harry said.

*************************

“Who’s idea was this again?” grumbled Harry, stumbling over three suitcases and a cat basket as he and Ginny Apparated into the room which could easily have been mistaken for a baggage car on the Hogwarts Express.

“Ron’s!” said George brightly as he popped up from behind a stack of several large trunks, grinning widely. “Isn’t it grand!”

“Just peachy,” mumbled Ginny, knocking her shins on an absolutely enormous travelling trunk that obviously belonged to Great Auntie Muriel.

“Come now sister dear,” said George as he levitated a trunk out of her way, to rest over by the wall. “Do you not want his wedding to go off beautifully?”

“Of course I do,” Ginny sighed as she picked her way past a litter of shoes that looked like they belonged to Charlie. “But why couldn’t he get married at home like everybody else?”

“Hermione,” answered George as if that explained everything.

“Combined with his inability to wait,” murmured Harry as he picked up a small travelling bag made of royal blue velvet and adorded with overly large rhinestones and looked at it distastefully. Ginny snorted and Harry started grinning. George was looking at them both, an almost feral smile on his face.

“Poor old Ron,” he murmured and the three of them burst out laughing.

*******************

“I still can’t believe Ron managed to talk Hermione into getting married here, just to make it quicker to get into her-”

“Bill!”

“I can’t believe you still haven’t written your speech, Potter.”

“Well, I don’t know what to say!”

“They are your best friends, think of something!”

“We’re freezing our bums off here.”

“You say that word again, young man and I’ll-”

“This has got to be the longest rehearsal of anything ever.”

“At least we are inside with the food now. All that snow was irritating me.”

“I like the snow, it’s pretty.”

“You would, you’re a girl.”

“I am a woman thank you very much.”

“Yeah, yeah and if it gets any colder I’ll shrivel right up and join you.”

“George!”

Harry grinned as Molly berated her family in turn, until she turned on him.

“And go to your room and write that speech, now.”

“But-”

“Now!”

Molly Weasley bustled off to tend to some small detail on the other side of the room. Harry glared at George who was laughing at him.

“Shut up. Just … I don’t even know where our room <i>is</i>. No one showed us to our room yet,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. George sobered.

“Yes, erm about that,” he muttered, looking across the room at his mother fussing with a table decoration. “I forgot to mention one little thing …”

*****************

“I really can’t stay Harry,” protested Ginny as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.

“But it’s cold outside and you have to go all the way across that nasty snow to the other chalet,” he murmured. “Stay with me.”

“It was very nice to see you Harry,” Ginny insisted. “But I must get back.”

“I was hoping you’d sneak out to see me,” he murmured. Harry grasped her hand as she pulled away. “Look your hands are all cold. You can’t possibly go out there.”

“If I’m not there …” Ginny studied the flashing gemstones as her fingers laid tangled with Harry’s. Harry moved closer, pulling her against his body.

“Mmmmm?” asked Harry against her throat. “Your voice goes all … like you’re humming, if I put my ear here.”

“What … why was I humming?” asked Ginny throatily as Harry kissed her throat. “As if I knew … Mum will worry.” Ginny finished weakly as Harry moved up to her ear.

“And Dad is going to do that pacing thing … I should go.”

“But you are more beautiful than that roaring fire over there,” Harry said desperately and Ginny laughed.

“That’s a terrible line. You want me to stay that bad?” she asked and Harry just nodded. “Well okay, just for a bit longer.”

“I’ll get us a hot chocolate,” Harry grinned at her boyishly. “Put some music on.”

“You want to drink hot chocolate?”

“Yeah, it’s bad out there, you need something to warm you up,” said Harry. He affected a pout. “Before you have to go.”

“And … music?” asked Ginny sceptically. “You want to … dance?”

“Maybe,” said Harry mysteriously. Ginny fiddled with the knobs on the radio in the Muggle chalet.

“<i>There was dancing, and singing, and moving to the grooving</i>,” came blasting from the speakers. Harry laughed as Ginny tried desperately to turn the sound down on the unfamiliar radio.

“That’ll set the neighbouring chalets to talking!” he chuckled as he handed Ginny a mug of hot chocolate. Ginny took a sip.

“Oh what is this?” she asked staring rapturously at the mug. Harry shrugged. “It’s like a piece of heaven.”

“Some hot chocolate I found,” he said. “The Muggles here have weird tastes.”

“Muggle?” Ginny asked sceptically. “Are you sure you didn’t put a spell on me Mr Potter?”

“Why?” asked Harry as he sat down and put his feet up on the coffee table. “You don’t want to leave anymore?” He was smirking as he looked at her over the rim of his own mug.

“It’s probably just that same spell you’ve had on me since I was ten,” Ginny said softly as she sat next to him.

“Here,” said Harry reaching up and deftly pulling her hat off. “You don’t need that on in here. Now I can see your beautiful hair along with your gorgeous eyes.”

“I really shouldn’t fall for your charm,” Ginny murmured. “There’s nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm.” Harry moved closer, dropping her hat onto a nearby table.

“I’m not a boy anymore,” he whispered. “And you know it.”

“I ought to say no,” said Ginny looking up into Harry’s eyes as he took the mug from her suddenly nerveless fingers. “I … I tried.”

“Really? Not very hard,” said Harry with a twinkle of mischief.

“I can’t stay,” Ginny protested. “No, I know it’s cold out there but I have to go.” Harry had reached her and winding an arm around her waist he murmured in her ear.

“But it’s cold outside. Stay with me; keep me warm.” Ginny pulled away suddenly.

“It’s wonderful that you are so happy to see me Harry-”

“I know. I am a very lucky man,” said Harry. “I am sure it must be positively storming out there by now.”

“If I don’t get back Hermione’s going to have a fit,” Ginny jumped up and ended up with her back to the door. “And Percy will say something … what about Auntie Muriel?” Ginny sounded desperate as she backed to the door away from Harry who had gotten up and was coming after her with a predatory gleam in his eyes. The door was slightly cold against her back as she stood against it, Harry looming over her, hovering just a breath away.

He kissed her then. Ginny melted into him. The murmur in her throat might have meant ‘okay, I’ll stay a bit longer’. Harry clearly had no intention of letting her go but finally Ginny pulled away and ducked under his arm when she caught him suddenly off guard.

“I have to go, Harry,” she said smiling sadly. “Let me borrow your coat. Then I can take a little bit of me with you.” The radio was playing a soft sweet melody that sounded like a love song and Harry gazed at her with wide eyes.

“But you’ll freeze and … and the snow’s too deep,” he said triumphantly. “You could get caught out in a snow drift and then where would I be and what would I do? Stay.”

“There will be talk,” warned Ginny. “The things my brothers can imply …”

“Let them,” Harry begged. “Don’t hold out on me. Stay and keep me warm.”

“Someone is sure to start a rumour,” muttered Ginny.

“Rumours mean nothing,” said Harry airily waving a hand. Ginny looked at him sadly.

“I should leave.” Harry’s shoulders slumped; he kissed her softly before whispering in her ear.

“If you ever change your mind, about leaving … leaving me <i>behind</i> …” His breath tickled her ear and she nearly melted as he trailed a hand down her arm. Ginny felt for the doorknob and twisted it.

“I have to go,” she whispered breathlessly. “Sorry, you’ll have to make do with a blanket.” There was a snicker from the stairs.

“Oh that’s a low blow,” called George. “You’ve wounded his pride now! Hit his ego for six!”

“Hit him, Ginny, one more time,” said Charlie. “It’s entertaining!” Harry turned to face them. Ginny could see he was blushing slightly while he grinned at them. Ginny took the moment to slip out the door. As she clicked it shut behind her she heard Harry.

“I was so close, you ruined it!”

*******************

“I can’t believe Mum made us stick to that silly tradition,” grumbled Ron as he and Harry tried to get ready for Ron’s wedding the next afternoon. “I haven’t seen Hermione all day. Why can’t I see her until the <i>wedding</i>?”

“What I want to know is why she made the rest of us follow it too; for practically the whole weekend!” complained Harry searching desperately through his trunk for his black socks. “Even the married blokes! Didn’t you see Bill pacing around our chalet? He’s completely on edge. He wants Fleur so bad now it’ll be like <i>they</i> are having the wedding night!”

“Harry!”

“What?” snapped Harry testily. “Your <i>mother</i> had a great idea about <i>bonding</i> and I have barely seen Ginny for the last two days while she and Hermione and Fleur were cooped up with your mother in their <i>chalet</i> doing their <i>nails</i> as a bonding experience!”

“Hey, don’t take it out on me mate,” said Ron his hands raised, one black sock dangling from his left hand. “It wasn’t my idea!”

“And how is it you can find your black socks?” asked Harry with exasperation.

“Because I know where I packed them,” said Ron smugly as he pulled the sock on. “Surely you know where you packed yours? Or did your wife organise everything for you?”