Disclaimer: Just as you might all have expected... I don't own
She tasted different this time. He could taste the regret which laced the usual array of emotions - certainly the love and passions between them still lingered on her lips, still coated that familiar tongue. In fact, in many ways, it had be similar to their first kiss.
Back then, the situation had be reversed and it had been he who was in a relationship with another whilst she was forced to stand on the sidelines and accept the situation.
Of course, in their first kiss their had been restraint; her self-preservation too strong to risk getting into something one sided. This time however, there was no restraint in the kiss, not on either side, both realising it was their last chance, their last opportunity. He was sure there was some poetic justice in that, their first and last kiss being similar.
It had been after that first kiss that he finally realised what he wanted. He wanted the brace woman who stood by his side no matter what. He wanted the woman who could hold her own in any fight whether intellectual, magical or physical. He realised he wanted the woman who loved and respected him, not any of the girls who spent their time worshipping him.
It was now, after their last kiss that he realised he still wanted all that but that this time, he had missed his chance. He could understand the situation, and he thought he could even accept it, but that didn't mean he had to like it, nor did he intend to.
It hadn't been that long ago that they had shared their fabulous news with him and given him his choice. He could be best man to one of his best-friends or he could be the maid of honour - or man of honour as she called it to this other best friend, who just happened to be his former lover. He had chosen to be Ron's best man citing not wanting to outshine Hermione on her big day by looking fabulous in a dress.
In reality he didn't think he could stand by her side throughout the ceremony knowing it wasn't him she was marrying. In some ways, he wished he had. At least then he could spend a few last moments with her, but he knew that he wouldnt be able to stand there without trying to steal her away.
Shaken out of his memories by the opening notes of the bridal waltz he slapped his red-headed friend's back and grinned at the "deer caught in the headlights" expression that flickered across his face. Glancing down the aisle at the approaching goddess, her long curly brown hair finally tamed, he realised that the wedding gown clad woman moving towards his friend was truly lost to him.
But worse then that was that he couldn't taste the kiss anymore. Her taste had faded just like the memory of their time together finally would. Strangely however, the taste of regret had only gotten stronger and he realised he would still be tasting it for quite a while to come.
AN: Hope you enjoyed... as much as you can enjoy something that reminds you of the occasional heartbreak and failed dream.