The idea for this story came from a reader, Fat ppl are harder to kidnap. Hopefully you like it! In this case, I literally own nothing.

Chapter 1

"Will you marry me?"

Hermione Granger, through tear blurred eyes, stared down at the man on bended knee. "Yes," she murmured as he slipped the small diamond onto her finger. Rising, he pulled her close and kissed her with all the passion he could muster.

"I love you," Draco Malfoy said against her lips. He'd been saying it for five years, but it still made his heart flutter when the words were spoken.

Their story began as the war ended. The fighting finished as soon as Lord Voldemort fell. For Draco, it had been as if a spell had been lifted. The wounded were tended to, the dead laid out for their final resting, and those who survived attempted to put their lives back together. He had found her on the stairs, alone and crying. She didn't look up when he sat down, nor did she refuse his offer of a handkerchief. They sat in silence until the Aurors arrived to arrest him.

The next time he saw her, his wrists and ankles were in shackles and she was testifying on his behalf. The Wizengamot listened intently as Hermione Granger, the brains of the Golden Trio, shared with them his acts of bravery and sacrifice. When asked about his decision to join the Death Eaters, Hermione held her head high, and said she believed he'd been forced into service. Three days later, after all the testimony had been presented and the deliberations ended, Draco Malfoy was a free man.

No longer a prisoner, he sought her out, intent on expressing his gratitude. Hermione merely smiled and told him not to be a stranger. He took her up on it, having so few people in his life with whom he could associate. They became friends, confidants, shoulders upon which to cry, and eventually, lovers. She too had few friends left. Harry Potter, the savior of the wizarding world, had disappeared shortly after the battle ended. No one saw him leave, and no one knew where he went.

It had been ten years since she had seen her best friend.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as he held her.

Hermione sighed and attempted to smile. "You know me - I always have to have a plan," she told him. "I'm just thinking."

"Turn off your brain for the night so we can celebrate," he suggested. "I wouldn't let Pansy see the ring before you did, and she's been hounding me for details. We could have dinner with her and Theo."

Nodding, she pulled away to get ready, but couldn't take her eyes off the ring she now wore. Draco laughed when she walked into their bedroom door, and she turned to face him. "Just make sure I don't do that in public," she requested.

An hour later, they were seated at a small table in The Three Broomsticks' main dining room, waiting for their friends to arrive. Hermione continued to stare at her ring while Draco kept an eye out for the couple. Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott were two of his only friends who remained in touch with him after the war. Some had died in the final battle, while others distanced themselves from the exonerated Death Eater.

When they arrived, Pansy ignored Draco and turned her full attention to Hermione. "Let me see!" she squealed, not bothering to sit. She turned Hermione's hand this way and that way, watching the light catch the diamond, as she gushed over its beauty.

"Enough already," Theo said exasperatedly. "It's not all about Hermione's ring. I want to know about the bachelor party."

Draco laughed. He had few memories of his friend's stag night, and didn't wish to repeat the experience. "That's still a while away," he said diplomatically. "There are more important things to think about. Like a date."

"She's only just said yes," Pansy argued. "There's no need to set a date right away. Besides, the reception hall usually does it for you. You work around their schedule, they don't work around yours. Although, I do think Hermione would be a beautiful autumn bride."

Hermione blushed, not enjoying being the center of attention. "Could we talk about something - anything - else?" she requested.

Hours later, Hermione and Draco returned home. Despite her desire to not discuss the wedding, Pansy hadn't been able to help herself. She wanted to know about guest lists and dresses and locations. Until Hermione admitted that she hadn't given it any thought, Pansy continued to ask.

"What's on your mind?" Draco wondered as Hermione readied herself for bed. She had been quiet since their return from the pub, and it was an unsettling silence. "Not regretting accepting my proposal, are you?"

Setting aside her pajamas, Hermione smiled as she wrapped her arms around her fiance's waist. "I'll never regret it," she told him.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked, rubbing her arms.

Sighing, she looked away, and her eyes landed on a photograph of Harry, Ron, and herself at the last Christmas dinner they had together. Everyday, she thought about the friend she had lost and the one who became too busy to spend time with her. Ron married a year after the war ended and soon began a family. He was a father of three, and he and his wife were expecting their fourth.

"I love you and our life. I love our friends and this house and my job," she said, pulling away from him. Taking a seat on the bed, she continued, "But sometimes I miss the way things used to be. Do you realize I haven't seen Ron since Hugo was born? I never even met his youngest. He's so busy being an Auror and taking care of his family, and that's okay. It's good. He belongs there. I just regret that I allowed my friends to drift out of my life, and I miss them."

Sitting down beside her, Draco held her hand. "Tell me what I can do," he murmured. "Tell me how I can make this better."

She rested her head on his shoulder and exhaled. "I don't know," she admitted. "And please don't think I'm not happy. You make me so happy."

"But?" he prompted.

Reluctantly, she said, "But when I've thought about my wedding, I've thought about my friends being there. I've thought about Harry being there."