Hermione Granger, soon to be Weasley, inhaled suddenly at the reality of what she was about to do. Looking into the brightly lit mirror, she could hardly recognize the woman who stood before her.
Her still unmanageable hair had been sleeked back into an elegant bun, light tendrils curled around the nape of her neck. Her eyes, which should have been bright and excited, were blank and void of any real emotion. Her skin had been scrubbed and polished with what seemed like thousands of moisturizers, courtesy of Lavender and Parvati, so that it was smooth and shiny. Her pouty lips were slightly turned down as she stared at her reflection.
She looked beautiful. Her hair was beautiful. Her teeth were beautiful, hell, her dress was beautiful, but it was who she was looking beautiful for.. That was unsettling.
"I love him," she whispered to herself.
" 'Course you do, that's why you're marrying him, silly," chided Ginny Weasley from behind her, dressed in her yellow bridesmaid's dress, as she was gently adjusting Hermione's train.
But, the him she had been referring to had not been Ronald Weasley.
xxxx
"Ten minutes, ladies," said Fred as he peeped his head around the door to Ginny's room.
Ten minutes.
Ten.
That was it. In ten minutes, she was giving herself up, forever, to her best friend. Her name, her freedoms, her dreams, but it was what everyone expected right?
The war was nearly over with only a few dozen death eaters left to round up, of course she should be getting married. What did it matter that when Ron kissed her she felt nothing, that when he reached for her hand and his ears turned pink that she didn't get butterflies? This was reality.
It was stupid for her to think that she could have made things work. Draco Malfoy was nothing but an arrogant pureblood with no sense of free will. Granted, his cold demeanor had always intrigued her,.. and his passionate kisses directly after an argument always made her weak in the knees, but what of it?
He had his side, and she had hers. He'd killed people, but so had she. He had given her up, hadn't he?
xxxx
"Hermione…," Mr. Weasley had interrupted her brooding.
"It's time, girl."
Time.
Her heart sped up.
xxxx
They faced each other, hands clasping, smiling at each other, only one of them forced. The ladies present all dabbed their eyes at the glorious site of two of the Golden Trio becoming one.
One.
Hermione's eyes made a quick glance around the guests, and the widened at the figure lurking on the edges of the trees, a bit a way.
He came,.. but why?
One last "Fuck you" before we were completely apart? What's he playing at.. standing there looking all angry and beautiful. He had no right. He wouldn't fight for us. He wouldn't take a chance. Now here I am, nearly a Weasley, and he's watching?
"I do," Hermione Weasley whispered.
Their friends and family clapped and whistled as Ron and Hermione had their first kiss as husband and wife.
xxxx
During the reception. Hermione's eyes unintentionally danced around from face to face, searching for familiar hard, silver eyes.
She never found them.
I wish he were Malfoy.
xxxx
What'd you think?
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xxxxFTLOV