Their own little world Date: June 19, 2006 (around 11pm) Characters: Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Roman Clergy (NPC) Location: Rome, Italy Private/Public?: Very Private Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Big surprise!!!! Pretty long. Summary: Ginny and Neville decide it’s time, and become impetuous Completion: Complete - Written in Fic style by Jess and Katy
It was late that night when Ginny and Neville set out to do what they had discussed the night before. It was also a good thing that there were so many churches in Rome, they didn’t have to go far.
This all came from feelings expressed at their engagement party on Saturday, and then both of them had mused about what may happen - battles, injuries... even deaths in the meantime. And the thought was too horrible to bear. The party had been grand and wonderful, everyone had a good time and it satisfied the both of them that their union would be rejoiced. The thought of having to plan another event in the midst of all the uncertainty seemed too daunting. They loved each other, that’s all that they knew... and they wanted it done.
Neville and Ginny had both brought the clothes that they had worn to their party, thinking it would be suitable to wear to an opera - needless to say they hadn’t really made it out of the villa long enough to see any such thing. But still, they were dressed in their finest as they walked through the streets of Rome, late at night and all the old-fashioned lamps were lit, bathing everything in a rosy-gold glow.
Ginny’s cheeks were flushed and Neville’s heart pounded so loud his ears were ringing, holding on to Ginny’s hand for dear life. There were so many grand churches to choose from, so many still open late for sanctuary and late night worshipers. But instead of going for grandeur, there was a small stone church just around where they apparated outside of the city. It was dark in the little church save for all the candelabras lining the aisles and the stained glass glittering in the faint light. The whole place was heady with the scent of incense and old wood, but it was perfect - small, secluded and perfect.
When they approached the altar, a priest came out from the back, and two sisters looked curiously on at them, a faint curious smile painting their faces. Neville was still out of breath from the walking, and his mind racing, so he forgot the words for 'Good Evening' in Italian and only hoped that the priest had some English. "Good evening father... um, we were wondering... could you marry us?" Neville gulped heavily as the aging man looked at them, saw their clasped hands and feverish want. The sisters also approached, having said something to the priest in hushed words - one of them rushing to a back room and coming out with a small bouquet of roses for Ginny. The old priest only smiled, waving them forward. "Si Si...naturalmente." Neither Ginny nor Neville knew too much Italian, but they knew 'Si' to mean 'Yes'.
All nervous smiles, they approached the altar while the priest donned his outer robes for performing such a ceremony. Their hands were clasped tightly together in a knot, standing so close that they could hardly breathe, but when Ginny did, Neville could feel her do so. The priest was talking in rapid Italian to the two sisters, most likely to see if one of them could fetch a license for signing. While that was being seen to, the kind man looked at them both and said "Eh....uh, do you have...anelli?" Neville looked at him, dumbfounded for a moment, until his father's ring on his right hand was pointed to. "Oh, YES! Yes I do." Reluctantly, he had to let go of Ginny's hands to take his father's family ring from his hand, and reach into his pocket for the chain he always kept with him. On that chain held a locket with pictures of his mother and father, and gran on either side. Though there was a new addition before they had left Rome, the wedding band he had bought for Ginny - white gold to match the engagement ring that had been passed down, but engraved in tiny letters on the inside; 'all my love, always, Neville'. With shaking hands, and a hope he didn't drop the rings, he handed them to the priest. "Grazie..." and the rings were placed in the crook of the bible he held.
Neville's voice cracked slightly as he looked into Ginny's eyes. "Are you ready?" and he was relieved when Ginny gazed back at him, a smile on her face in answer. He beamed back at her and swallowed hard. The priest then gestured first to Neville 'Your name...per favore?" Neville stood up straight and looked at him "Neville Francis Longbottom." and immediately after, the older man turned to Ginny and she responded in kind "Ginevra Molly Weasley." A huge toothy grin spread across the priest's face and he nodded, laughing. "Ah buon, buon. Grazie."
As the priest began to speak, in Italian of course, Neville held Ginny’s hand that wasn’t occupied by the small bunch of roses she was given. They didn’t know what the man was saying, but somehow they knew and understood them to be the words that would bind them together, their names being spoken intermittently between familiar, lyrical phrases. Neville sighed heavily and smiled at her, his eyes somewhat watery, just as hers were. It was those private moments when her softer side came out, the moments that she saved only when she was alone with him that meant the most to Neville.
There was a silence and the couple had turned to the priest, who had motioned to Neville. "Now...you say your words, to her." A kind smile was on his face when the priest basically told Neville to say his vows to Ginny. He knew the traditional vows of course - better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and health - he knew all of them. However, he and Ginny knew all of that, there were far greater things to say.
Looking at his feet for a moment and getting up the courage even as his heart was trying to beat a path out through his ribcage, Neville lifted his head and met Ginny’s eyes. Taking a deep breath he smiled and began what had needed to be said for a very long time. "I don’t know if I ever told you, or if you ever knew, but I’ve loved you since the day I met you. Even if it was only friendly love, I still did. You were, and still are, everything I’ve ever looked for in a woman. You’re kind and generous, intelligent and funny... gorgeous and fierce. But most of all, you trust me to be there when no one else can be, you let me see sides of you that no one else knows exists - no one else has ever made me feel that special and honoured before." he took another long breath before starting again. "Ginny, I promise, that I will never stop loving you - in whatever way you need; as a friend, a lover, a husband, a fighter, a brother to your brothers and a friend to your friends - I will never cease." At that point he stopped for the briefest of moments, acknowledging the tear that had slid down his face with a smile to let Ginny know that he was just too happy at that moment. "I love you, with all of my heart."
There was a long pause, but Neville had said everything he needed to, Ginny knew all of the rest, he had told her endlessly of her qualities, but never like this. He suddenly felt a pat on his shoulder from the elderly priest before motioning to Ginny, and he didn’t even have to tell her what needed to be done, she knew.
Ginny didn't bother to even blink back the tears at Neville's words, instead letting them stream freely down her face for once. She was glad when the priest didn't motion for her to speak immediately after Neville. She needed the few moments to compose herself before she could speak properly. She took a deep breath and looked directly into Neville's eyes as she spoke.
"I never thought this would be something I wanted. I used to think I was fine on my own, that I preferred it that way. I didn't know how wrong I was until you were there and then everything changed. I think I've always loved you, even if I didn't know it. You're the best part of my life, and I can't imagine--don't want to imagine--what my life would be like if you weren't in it. You bring out the best parts of me, and you love me for me. You encourage me to do what I know is right, support me once I've made that decision." She took a deep breath and continued. "I trust you more than anyone else, and I know in my heart you will never purposefully let me down. I love you and am better for loving you, for having even known you. You light up my life, Neville, with your goodness, with your heart. I give myself to you, as your wife, and promise to love you for as long as I live." She felt calmer somehow when she was finished, light and happy and she couldn't believe this was so easy. She beamed up at Neville and reached up with her free hand to stroke his face lightly. A giggle rose up in her and she let it out, smile hurting her face. She somehow managed to calm herself and turned to the priest.
Neville’s face was red, never having heard most of what Ginny had said to him. He had inklings of course and she had told him that she loved him numerous times, but he had never known the extent of her true feelings for him. He touched her face lightly, brushing away one of her tears that matched his.
Both of them, now having finished saying their vows, looked to the priest and the sisters who looked on with wide glowing smiles on their faces. Neville was the first to be shaken from their daze as he was handed Ginny’s ring. His fingers were shaking even as he took it from the priest and held Ginny’s left hand in his. "Ah, now...you say ‘with this ring, I thee wed’." Being prompted in broken English, Neville smiled at Ginny and repeated the words, sliding the white gold band on her bare finger carefully as his hands were shaking, and so were hers. Ginny's engagement ring had been moved to her right hand for the ceremony. "With this ring, I thee wed." Neville gave her hand a small squeeze to calm both of their tremblings before it was her turn to bestow Neville with his ring.
The ring didn't match Ginny's - it was yellow gold with the black stone in the middle, a red family crest ghosting beneath the surface. She rolled it in her fingers a moment before saying just as Neville had. "With this ring, I thee wed." and slipped the golden ring onto his shaking finger. Another small squeeze was given to his hand and they stayed joined afterward.
They were still holding each other’s hands, all sniffles and happy, slightly-dazed smiles, when the priest motioned for them to turn to face him. A touch to each of their foreheads, and a quick prayer in Italian - "....In nome del padre ed il figlio ed il spirito santo..." - and the priest was done. ".... Ora li pronuncio il Signor e Signora Longbottom." Neville and Ginny looked at each other for a moment, as if they were checking to see if what just happened actually happened. And then, as if exasperated from the waiting, the priest looked between them... "Ah ... kiss her! Go on...baci il vostro bride bella!" Neville jumped when he was given the prompt to kiss Ginny, a part of the wedding that he had totally forgotten about in his daze. Turning to Ginny, she was too quick and already had her arms around his neck before Neville bent his head to kiss her sweetly - it was chaste, but long, as the both of them seemed to want that feeling to linger, so they could remember it for always.
They pulled from each other reluctantly, but knew that wasn't the end of the evening, not by a long shot. Even before they had to leave the church, they signed the marriage certificate with the two sisters as witnesses and the priest as officiant. It was handed to Neville and he gave it to Ginny to hold, the sisters still fussing over her and how beautiful she looked. "Father...." Neville took an envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to the priest. "....una donazione per la vostra chiesa, per essere così gentile." His words were halted because he must have rehearsed that line a hundred times in his head, not wanting to get it wrong. Pressing on, the priest took the envelope that held 5,000 muggle Euros, though he didn't open it, and only said "Grazie, molto, benedicali." Neville gave a smile and turned to leave, taking Ginny's hand ... and in his clarity he remembered the words for 'Good Evening', shaking his head and laughing before wishing the priest and the two sisters a "Buona sera".
Once outside, the cool air hit their warm faces, Ginny still had her bouquet of flowers, having given the certificate to Neville before they left to keep it safe in his jacket until they got back to the villa. Struck with shyness all of a sudden, Neville turned to Ginny and wrapped his arms around her, resting his forehead against hers until his heart slowed and the euphoria of being her husband... finally, washed over him. "So.... what do you want to do now?" he smiled as they both erupted into quiet laughter and dissolved into a long embrace on the streets of Rome.
~~{~~~<@
It was well after midnight when they arrived back at the villa. The moonlight was streaming in their open bedroom window - the air smelling of the groves backing the villa. Ginny and Neville didn't notice anything, they were fused together as if someone had put a binding spell on the both of them. The room was quiet save for hushed breathing and whispered sentiments that would make the walls blush if they had ears. The walls that they had each other pressed to in turns, kissing and catching their breath in between motions of divesting the other's clothing.
Love you...
The phrase was uttered again and again, all over the room, from the both of them; when Neville ran his thumb along Ginny's bottom lip, when Ginny's hands found themselves buried in Neville's hair and when they found themselves twined together on the bed. Every touch was laden with sparks and the heat painted a dewy haze on their skin. Ginny's hands slid down Neville's back, sometimes leaving small red trails, and other times stopping altogether to clutch at him while he moved above her.
Neither of them had settled for being with each other only once that night. Neville had reached upward towards Ginny's face to stroke her cheek, running his fingers through her silky hair until her mouth had captured his fingers. Moments later those same fingers pressed white indentations into the flesh of her hips while she rocked against him, driving them towards bliss. They were there, in the midst of it all when Neville sat up, kissing the hollow of her throat when she'd cried out, worshipping her with splayed palms on her skin and his own cries, making him weak and loving every moment of it.
It went on and on, until every inch of their skin had been touched and pleased. The dawn was breaking in brilliant rays through the window, splashing against their skin and making them both seem like a statue one would find in the city they were married in that past evening. They slept that whole day in quiet satisfaction, laying in each other's arms.
But what they didn't know, was that back in England, at Longbottom House... there was a small pile of sand at the bottom of the mausoleum, where the enchanted wall had scored Ginny's name, and a very pleased Toby had witnessed the embers cooling on the great oaken family tree in the foyer. Ginevra Molly Weasley had been burned in a quick flash on the enchanted wall the moment they had said their vows.