She sat in the room alone, wrapping her finger absentmindedly around the one curly tendril hanging down. Her eyes were out of focus and in another world as she felt the warm inviting breeze from the window caress her body and kiss her shoulders.
The light wind ruffled the petals of the flowers her hands clutched steadfastly. The ribbon wire wrapped around the bouquet was uncomfortable as it brushed her skin, but she paid no attention. In her mind there were too many emotions to count; she did not have room for minor discomfort.
The only emotion she could focus on at the particular moment was fear. Fear was making her throat constrict and threw her stomach into her chest. The blood was pounding faster now, and she shifted her eyes to the mirror to see if she could possibly see her heart beat through the layer of white her body adorned; it was so loud to her, could no one else hear it? The echo of her heartbeat was bouncing around inside of her as if she were hollow, hitting every corner and surface.
Her hands started shaking, minutely. The motion was of course, only noticeable to someone who had been familiar with the extremities all their life, but to her she seemed to be doing jazz hands that belonged solely in stage performances.
People were fussing about her, making noises of awe and spoke congratulatory words with encouragement. They sounded like bees buzzing about a hive, swarming and giving her a little pat or caress before flying away to do it again.
Why on earth was she doing this? The fear, the fear was heavy and oppressive and sitting square on her chest. There were so many things that could go wrong so easily.
"It's time," a voice said to her. She couldn't stomach looking into all the expectant faces, smiling and waiting for her to do the same. She kept her eyes glued to the slightly threadbare carpets at her feet and walked the path she knew well after all these years.
Her friends fluttered close by her side, reminding her now of butterflies more than bees; their dresses fluttered in the slight summer breeze like wings to be admired, the deep hue of blue adding to the analogy.
Before she took her last step over the threshold of the back door as a single woman, she caught a glimpse of herself in the chipped mirror. Her hair was soft and tamed, for once. The white dress was flattering and yet conservative and yet completely her. The flowers clutched in her hands were breathtaking and enchanted to throw off the tiniest shimmer of silver. She took a deep breath and for the first time in her life, felt truly beautiful.
She was not only beautiful she was glowing. The fear melted away into a bearable bought of nerves. A normal, expected bought of nerves.
She turned away from the looking glass and took the few steps to cross into a totally different world. She instantly felt better as the openness of the outdoors encircled her. Her breathing slowed to a normal, distinctive pattern.
The day was clear, and all of the guests upon hearing about her arrival simmered down and turned to face her, she felt heat rise to her cheeks as the spotlight shifted over to her, something she had never been comfortable with. Music notes started to swim through the air and she felt an arm link around her elbow and looked over into the gaze of her father.
His hair was flecked now with gray and age, and his kind grin had a hint of amazement at the grandeur of a wizarding wedding ceremony. He pulled her along and it was only to the last second possible that she lifted her eyes up from the ground and sought out his.
They were strong and fierce and waiting for her advancement. They met hers with a force that could have lifted her off of her feet. And with that waiting for her, her fears melted. Her hands steadied. Her stomach dropped back into its rightful place. Her heartbeat slowed. And she knew undoubtedly that she was making the right decision.
Her dad kissed her on the cheek and she was still bound by her groom's spell. She stepped parallel from him and he grabbed her hands. He smiled at her unsurely, waiting for her to return it—which she did at full force.
The audience smiled as they witnessed a couple truly in love, in their own world, bind themselves forever.
"I do," Hermione said, and she knew she had never been more certain in her life.