Laughter
Laughter
“I’m so happy for you, truly I am,” Holly Cormack whispered into her best friend Katie’s ear for the millionth time this summer evening. The air was soft and filled with the sound of cicadas chirping in the tall grass. The evening Sun shone warmly through the shear white walls of the giant tent that took up what felt like a whole acre of the Burrow property.
Holly felt her shimmery, pale blue bridesmaid dress wrinkled as she and Katie held each other tight- both of them knowing, deep down, that this was the last time things would ever be this way.
“I can’t believe it... you’re married,” Holly said with a final squeeze before looking at her best friend with damp eyes.
“I know, it’s unbelievable.” Katie smiled looking over to her (gasp!) husband Fred Weasley. “Thank you so much. You’ve been the best maid of honor anyone could ask for.”
“Of course. You’ve been my best friend for all 22 years of my life. I’d do anything for you, Katie.”
“Ohhh, Merlin’s trousers you’re going to make me cry!” Katie smacked Holly’s arm teasingly. The pair shared a sad laugh- once again realizing that things would never be the same now.
“Have a safe trip home, ok? Don’t splinch yourself.” Katie gave Holly one final hug.
“I shall do my best. I’ll talk to you soon?”
“Of course.” With a final wave to Fred, Holly began making her way through the field in search of a quiet spot to apparate. She gently smoothed out her dress again and went to tuck a stray bunch of light pink hair away from her face (a signature look for Holly, elegant and silly expertly matched). Out of the corner of her eye, Holly saw George standing by the house, hands awkwardly in the pockets of his smooth, grey suit, nodding every now and again to the flurries of guests that would walk past him. Holly stopped in her tracks.
He looked up, noticed her, and waved- something a little more than the normal glint of playfulness in his eyes. Something stranger and deeper and not quite like George at all. It was a powerful mystery, and it pulled Holly towards him like gravity.
Without a word she approached him, never taking her cattail colored eyes off his. When they were near, they joined hands, and together walked silently to a small knoll quite far from the white tent filled with celebration. The earth that lay behind their every step was like weight being lifted from their shoulders.
More silence followed as they sat beside each other- Holly Indian style, letting her dress splay around her like an ocean, George with one leg out and one bent, his arm resting on his raised knee thoughtfully.
“Well, I’ll be the one to say it,” George sighed eventually. “This sucks.”
All Holly could do was nod in agreement.
George continued, “I mean it doesn’t suck, because Katie and Fred were always going to be together and it was always going to be perfect and beautiful just like tonight-”
“But it does suck because you and I are losing our best friends,” Holly finished for him. “Yeah... I know exactly what you mean.”
Crickets began to replace the cicadas now as the Sun began to dip over the horizon. Everything in the field had a hue of pink in the evening light- perfectly accenting Holly’s hair.
“I’m sorry.” George said, looking to his old friend. “I’m sorry that you’re losing a piece of yourself today.”
Holly smiled a small smile and placed her hand gently on his. “I’m sorry too.”
George smiled back just as sadly. “You know, I suppose I can’t be too upset over it... I know Fred is happier than Filch finding a first year out after curfew. It’s just... he’s married now! Soon he’ll have a home and a family... And I’ll be out of a partner in crime. Someone who knows me better then anyone else.”
Considering this carefully, Holly nodded as her eyes followed the youngest Weasley brother, Ron, walk across the field towards the old, wooden house. One of Holly’s eyebrows rose slyly.
“You know...” she began thoughtfully as she pulled her wand out from where it was safely tucked in her shoe against her leg. “You don’t have to be without that person in your life.”
“Oh?”
Holly peeked at George from the corner of her eye and winked. Ron was just starting up the spiral staircase that led to the house.
“Glisseo,” she flicked her wand. A few delicate, lavender sparks escaped the tip of the wand and, in the distance, the steps Ron had half-ascended suddenly flattened into a giant-swirling slide.
“Argh!” Ron’s cry echoed throughout the field as his feet escaped from under him and he tumbled downwards with surprise. Holly and George dissolved into laughter.
“Alright, whose idea was this? Come on, now, show yourself!” Ron shouted angrily into the air. George clutched his stomach and gasped for air as Holly leaned into his shoulder.
“Oh goodness,” George puffed, “I haven’t laughed like this in weeks.”
“Nor have I!” Holly agreed flashing her brilliantly white teeth. She still hadn’t taken her head from his shoulder.
As Ron continued to call hopelessly into the sky, George put his free arm around Holly lovingly. It was a gesture so small, yet so sweet, that the young woman couldn’t help but look up towards him and blush.
George didn’t waste another second. He brought his lips to Holly’s and touched her chin lightly with his fingertips.
As they separated, both of their lips turned up into content, yet sly grins. “You know what I’m thinking?” Holly whispered.
“You’re thinking that this was the most wonderful kiss of your life,” George answered impishly.
“That,” she winked, “and that a color-change charm sounds perfect for Percy’s suit.”
“You know, I always thought he’d look dashing in bright orange.”
“I concur, my good fellow...”
And so the two spent the rest of their evening hidden away behind that small hill, shooting prank after prank out of their wands, bonding over the change in the summer air as evening turned to nightfall and fireflies lit the field. A celebration of love and life and kisses and new chapters. All to the sound of crickets and laughter.
Holly felt her shimmery, pale blue bridesmaid dress wrinkled as she and Katie held each other tight- both of them knowing, deep down, that this was the last time things would ever be this way.
“I can’t believe it... you’re married,” Holly said with a final squeeze before looking at her best friend with damp eyes.
“I know, it’s unbelievable.” Katie smiled looking over to her (gasp!) husband Fred Weasley. “Thank you so much. You’ve been the best maid of honor anyone could ask for.”
“Of course. You’ve been my best friend for all 22 years of my life. I’d do anything for you, Katie.”
“Ohhh, Merlin’s trousers you’re going to make me cry!” Katie smacked Holly’s arm teasingly. The pair shared a sad laugh- once again realizing that things would never be the same now.
“Have a safe trip home, ok? Don’t splinch yourself.” Katie gave Holly one final hug.
“I shall do my best. I’ll talk to you soon?”
“Of course.” With a final wave to Fred, Holly began making her way through the field in search of a quiet spot to apparate. She gently smoothed out her dress again and went to tuck a stray bunch of light pink hair away from her face (a signature look for Holly, elegant and silly expertly matched). Out of the corner of her eye, Holly saw George standing by the house, hands awkwardly in the pockets of his smooth, grey suit, nodding every now and again to the flurries of guests that would walk past him. Holly stopped in her tracks.
He looked up, noticed her, and waved- something a little more than the normal glint of playfulness in his eyes. Something stranger and deeper and not quite like George at all. It was a powerful mystery, and it pulled Holly towards him like gravity.
Without a word she approached him, never taking her cattail colored eyes off his. When they were near, they joined hands, and together walked silently to a small knoll quite far from the white tent filled with celebration. The earth that lay behind their every step was like weight being lifted from their shoulders.
More silence followed as they sat beside each other- Holly Indian style, letting her dress splay around her like an ocean, George with one leg out and one bent, his arm resting on his raised knee thoughtfully.
“Well, I’ll be the one to say it,” George sighed eventually. “This sucks.”
All Holly could do was nod in agreement.
George continued, “I mean it doesn’t suck, because Katie and Fred were always going to be together and it was always going to be perfect and beautiful just like tonight-”
“But it does suck because you and I are losing our best friends,” Holly finished for him. “Yeah... I know exactly what you mean.”
Crickets began to replace the cicadas now as the Sun began to dip over the horizon. Everything in the field had a hue of pink in the evening light- perfectly accenting Holly’s hair.
“I’m sorry.” George said, looking to his old friend. “I’m sorry that you’re losing a piece of yourself today.”
Holly smiled a small smile and placed her hand gently on his. “I’m sorry too.”
George smiled back just as sadly. “You know, I suppose I can’t be too upset over it... I know Fred is happier than Filch finding a first year out after curfew. It’s just... he’s married now! Soon he’ll have a home and a family... And I’ll be out of a partner in crime. Someone who knows me better then anyone else.”
Considering this carefully, Holly nodded as her eyes followed the youngest Weasley brother, Ron, walk across the field towards the old, wooden house. One of Holly’s eyebrows rose slyly.
“You know...” she began thoughtfully as she pulled her wand out from where it was safely tucked in her shoe against her leg. “You don’t have to be without that person in your life.”
“Oh?”
Holly peeked at George from the corner of her eye and winked. Ron was just starting up the spiral staircase that led to the house.
“Glisseo,” she flicked her wand. A few delicate, lavender sparks escaped the tip of the wand and, in the distance, the steps Ron had half-ascended suddenly flattened into a giant-swirling slide.
“Argh!” Ron’s cry echoed throughout the field as his feet escaped from under him and he tumbled downwards with surprise. Holly and George dissolved into laughter.
“Alright, whose idea was this? Come on, now, show yourself!” Ron shouted angrily into the air. George clutched his stomach and gasped for air as Holly leaned into his shoulder.
“Oh goodness,” George puffed, “I haven’t laughed like this in weeks.”
“Nor have I!” Holly agreed flashing her brilliantly white teeth. She still hadn’t taken her head from his shoulder.
As Ron continued to call hopelessly into the sky, George put his free arm around Holly lovingly. It was a gesture so small, yet so sweet, that the young woman couldn’t help but look up towards him and blush.
George didn’t waste another second. He brought his lips to Holly’s and touched her chin lightly with his fingertips.
As they separated, both of their lips turned up into content, yet sly grins. “You know what I’m thinking?” Holly whispered.
“You’re thinking that this was the most wonderful kiss of your life,” George answered impishly.
“That,” she winked, “and that a color-change charm sounds perfect for Percy’s suit.”
“You know, I always thought he’d look dashing in bright orange.”
“I concur, my good fellow...”
And so the two spent the rest of their evening hidden away behind that small hill, shooting prank after prank out of their wands, bonding over the change in the summer air as evening turned to nightfall and fireflies lit the field. A celebration of love and life and kisses and new chapters. All to the sound of crickets and laughter.