Title: Missing Item
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Draco/Hermione, Ginny
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 844
Summary: It's Ginny to the rescue!
Notes:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Advent Calendar - For Sophie (3cheersforidiot)
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Writing Club - Lost and Found Day - Write about someone being found/finding something that was missing or that they were looking for.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Home Economics & Domestic Magic - Task 1 - Write about a bride wearing a wedding garter.
"Uh, Hermione, what's the problem?" Ginny asked, gobsmacked as Hermione threw things out of her closet. She had never seen her best friend act so messy. Truth be told, it was a little bit unnerving.
"I can't find it," Hermione hissed.
Ginny blinked. "Find out?" She couldn't imagine what Hermione lost the night before her wedding. She wasn't disorganized in the least.
Hermione turned her back on the closet, wide brown eyes frantic. "My wedding garter. I'm marrying Draco tomorrow, and I can't find the wedding garter. And after I went through so much trouble to convince him to accept the Muggle tradition."
She looked near tears, and Ginny's heart went out to the bride. "Okay, Hermione, first of all, you need to calm down. If you don't, you'll never be able to find it. Close your eyes and take deep breaths."
Hermione followed Ginny's instruction and the deep red flush of exertion started to fade. "Okay, not what?" Hermione asked as she opened her eyes.
Ginny smiled softly. "The last time you saw your wedding garter, where were you? What were you doing?"
"Well," Hermione began slowly. "I was showing Harry my dress. I obviously didn't show him something as intimate as the garter, but I did take it out of the closet, and I placed it on the bed when I took the dress out."
"Just Harry? No one else?"
Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Well, Ron passed by. He made a snarky comment about how someone like me shouldn't wear white." She rolled her eyes. "I wonder if he'll ever get over the fact that I chose Draco over him."
Ginny had an idea now, but she hated to think her own brother would try to sabotage Hermione's big day out of petty jealousy. Still, she wouldn't tell Hermione her suspicions. Instead, she would look into it herself. "How about you go through your closet again? Maybe since you were panicking, you missed it. I'll go check to see if maybe Harry has seen it. Or maybe one of the other girls moved it for some reason.
Hermione nodded. "Thanks, Ginny."
Ginny forced a smile and calmly walked out of the bedroom. As soon as Hermione couldn't see her, Ginny raced to Ron's room and opened the door with a slam. She glared at the redhead who was lazily lounging on his bed. "Where is it?" she growled.
Ron arched an eyebrow. "Where is what?"
"Don't be a prat! Did you honestly believe stealing the garter would make Hermione cancel the wedding? She's still going to marry him, but she'll do it while feeling as if something is missing. This won't make her choose you, and all you're really doing is proving that she made the right choice when she chose Draco over your selfish ass. Hermione loves him. And nothing you do is going to change that. So, I'll ask again. And if you tell me, I won't tell Hermione what you did, despite the fact she was nearing a panic attack earlier. So, once again, where is it?"
Ron's eyes were shadowed. "On the top shelf in my closet."
Ginny opened the closet door and saw it almost immediately when she looked up. She reached for it, and without a backwards glance at Ron, she was out of the room.
She thought about what she could tell Hermione as she walked back to the girl's bedroom. She walked in and held the garment up.
But there was no one there to see it. She wondered if Hermione was maybe searching the house, but Ginny decided this might be the best thing that could have happened. She quickly went to the bed and knelt on the ground, acting as if she was reaching for something.
"Ginny?" Hermione's voice called.
"Hold on," Ginny groaned. She happily stood up and showed Hermione what she found.
"My garter!" she happily exclaimed.
Ginny nodded. "It must have fallen under the bed."
"How could I have been so careless?" Hermione shook her head. She took it and threw her arms around Ginny. "Thank you so much!"
She tried to not let the guilt eat at her over the deception. If Ginny had told Hermione the truth, her and Ron might never get back any semblance of friendship. She was doing what she thought was best.
The next day, Ginny helped Hermione get dressed.
Hermione rubbed a thumb over the garter as she put it on.
Ginny saw how happy Hermione looked and was glad she had been able to talk sense into Ron.
And after Ginny walked down the aisle, acting as Hermione's witness, she got to see up close just how much Draco loved his soon-to-be wife.
When Hermione entered, his eyes never left hers. A bomb could have gone off, and he wouldn't have even noticed it.
Ginny's heart warmed as the two of them grabbed hands, their eyes filled with sincere devotion. They loved each other. Nothing was going to change that. And in the end, that was all that mattered.