Setting things to rights - 7

She stood still in the doorway, her eyes avidly searching the room until they rested on him and locked her gaze with his.

"Oh, Ginny! What have you done to your beautiful hair?" Mrs. Weasley moaned, moving toward her daughter and reaching out to pull at the shortened locks.

"What did'ya do that for?" Ron demanded with his mouth full. Bill and Charlie simply stared at her, awaiting her response.

Harry felt as if he'd been hit in the gut, and he swallowed heavily. Ginny's hair had always attracted him, he hadn't fully realized how much until he saw her without it. He felt frozen to the spot and simply stared back at her, blinking.

Everything suddenly became clear to him when a beaming Fleur and a hesitant Hermione followed Ginny into the room. Harry felt a bubble of warmth spread inside his belly. Hermione no longer wore the handkerchief that had become her talisman, but instead sported a short, pixyish haircut in the same shade of Weasley red as everyone else at the table, save Harry.

Hermione shyly watched everyone's expressions, appearing as if she was ready to bolt from the room at the slightest provocation.

"Just what this place needs," Charlie said, grinning. "Another redhead. I didn't think we had enough of them here."

"There could never be enough of them," Bill said, beaming at Fleur with the first genuine smile Harry had seen on him since their return.

"Eezent eet magnifique? Who knew I'd be zo talented with 'air? Eet was Ginny's idea to copy ze Muggles and create a wig, but 'Ermione deeden't want to go shopping. Zat is very strange, no? Anyway, she agreed to let us try eet ourselves. I've never cut anyone's 'air before, but I zought I could do eet," Fleur said, plopping down into Bill's lap and kissing him soundly. "And I can."

"Hermione," Ron said, blinking, his glass of wine still frozen halfway to his mouth.

Hermione smiled tentatively before sitting down next to him. Ron leaned over and whispered something in her ear that caused her to blush and smile widely at the same time.

"What's that, brother mine?" Fred asked. "Did I just hear you tell the fair lass that you knew she'd always wanted to be a Weasley?"

"And why wouldn't she be?" George asked. "Of course, isn't it really up to you to correct that situation?" George said, smiling smugly at the blushes that suffused both Ron's and Hermione's faces.

"Sod off," Ron said, swatting George without ever taking his eyes off Hermione.

"Harry," Ginny said softly. She'd moved from the door to the chair next to him, tentatively looking into his eyes. She worried her lower lip as she waited for his response.

Harry felt a large lump materialize in his throat over what she'd done for Hermione. He didn't think he could ever be more proud. "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," he whispered, running his hands through her new, shorter haircut and pulling her close so he could kiss her.

Ginny's eyes filled with tears as she leaned into him. "You really think it's okay? I know you liked it longer, but it'll grow back," she said, sniffling.

"It doesn't matter. What you just did for Hermione makes you more beautiful than any hairdo ever could," he said, kissing her again despite the presence of her family at the table.

"Harry's right," Bill said. Harry and Ginny both looked up to find Bill staring at them, his eyes suspiciously bright. "That was a wonderful thing to do, Ginny. You just reminded me how strong your bond of friendship is with each other. I'd let myself lose sight of that. Hold onto it, embrace it, and don't let anyone – especially older brothers with chips on their shoulder – stand in the way of it. I don't think V-V- Voldemort stands a chance against it."