A/N: Thanks to all who read my last fic. If you did not read it, I hope that you will go give it a look. It is called "Tonight I Wanna Cry." I have difficulty writing happy scenes, so please bear with me if this is terrible. I tried to make this fic less "songfic-y" than the last one, but a song is still here.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own "I Cross My Heart." J.K. Rowling and a whole bunch of rich companies own Harry Potter and George Strait and his record label own "I Cross My Heart." I simply ask their indulgence while a borrow them for a bit of uncompensated fun.
The late afternoon sun shone down on a large gathering of people standing in a silent circle. At the center of the circle stood four: two male and two female. The barn owl basking in one of the last warm air currents above the circle was startled when a sudden loud noise broke out. Flying closer to inspect, the owl watched as two from the center of the circle embraced each other and the din from the outer circle increased. Hooting softly, the owl flew steadily back into the neighboring forest as the circle of humans disintegrated and started towards the magical castle overlooking his quiet home.
Inside the castle, the noise began again as the pair that had embraced on the lawn entered a hall large enough for a king's feast. Candles floated in the air beneath an enchanted ceiling where the beautiful colors of the setting sun were clear. On the walls, sconces draped in cream gauze held torches that illuminated long tables set along the wall. On each table, silver dishes and glass goblets sat ready to be filled as guest sat down to eat. The hall was filled with the chatter of witches and wizards dressed in their most formal robes.
The female blushed and the man merely nodded as they were greeted with well wishes for their new life. Suddenly, two young men walked up to the blushing female and engulfed her in a huge hug.
"Congratulations, Hermione," the young man with dark hair and astonishing green eyes whispered into the female's ear.
"Yeah, 'Mione. Congratulations," agreed the redheaded man on her other side. "I know he will make you happy."
"Thank you, Ron. That means more to me than you will ever know," Hermione responded. "You too, Harry. I'm so glad you are both here today."
A softly cleared throat caught Hermione's attention and she turned back to the man she had entered the hall with. "My dear, I think Minerva is trying to get out attention."
Hermione took the offered arm and moved with her dark escort. "Severus, do you think we could have just one dance?" Hermione asked as they moved to meet the Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry across the room from them.
From the look on the man's face, it was clear the pair had discussed this particular idea before. "Hermione, you know I detest public displays of any kind. What would the students think if they saw me dancing, of all things? It is hard enough to keep the attention of those dunderheads as it is."
"They would think that their Potions master was dancing with his new wife. Besides, Severus, we invited the only students here. Surely if you trust them enough to invite them to your wedding, they can be permitted to witness one dance."
By this point, the newlyweds had reached the Headmistress. Minerva McGonagall cut a striking figure in her tartan robes. "Severus, Hermione, congratulations. Hermione, you look stunning. Severus is a very lucky man."
"That I am, Minerva." Severus replied as he took in the glory of his new wife. She was ensconced in a long, white strapless gown with a skirt that widened the closer it got to the floor. Her hair was twisted up and curls cascaded from the twist and framed her face. "She is the most beautiful woman in the room.
"Severus, don't. I'm not all that pretty, as you well know." Hermione replied to her black-clad husband.
"You do not do yourself justice, wife."
Minerva drew attention back to herself as the music began. "I know that it is a Muggle custom for the bride and groom to have the first dance." Minerva paused to confirm her statement with Hermione, who nodded. "But I did not know which song you both wanted, so the dance floor will not appear until the two of you decide. Enjoy tonight." With a quick hug of each, the Headmistress went to mingle with the guests.
"Severus, you do not have a choice now." Hermione told her husband with a small smirk.
"So it would seem." He answered with a small sigh. "Although, the guests do not have to danceā¦" Severus trailed off as his wife glared at him. "Very well, which song would you like?"
"Should we not choose together?"
"Hermione, this wedding was for you. I did not need a formal binding to know that you are mine. While I admit that the ceremony was nice, none of this pageantry is something I would have picked if you had not insisted. Therefore, my wife, you may choose the song."
With a small glimmer in her eye, Hermione led her husband to the center of the hall. The quiet music that had begun only moments before stopped as the couple turned to face each other. A large wooden platform materialized beneath their feet and the entire hall turned to watch the couple. As she placed her hand around his neck and his found their way around her waist, the music began. Swaying gently to the song, Hermione mouthed the words to her new husband.
Our
love is unconditional, we knew it from the start.
I
see it in your eyes, you can feel it from my heart.
From
here on after let's stay the way we are right now,
And
share all the love and laughter that a lifetime will allow.
I
cross my heart and promise to
Give all I've got to give to make
all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a
love as true as mine.
You
will always be the miracle that makes my life complete,
And as
long as there's a breath in me, I'll make yours just as sweet.
As
we look into the future, it's as far as we can see,
So let's make
each tomorrow be the best that it can be.
I
cross my heart and promise to
Give all I've got to give to make
all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a
love as true as mine.
And
if along the way we find a day it starts to storm,
You've got the
promise of my love to keep you warm.
In
all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine,
A love as
true as mine.
As the music came to a stop, Severus leaned down to whisper in Hermione's ear, "I love you so much, my wife."
A wide smile came across Hermione's face as she responded, "I love you, too, Severus."
A/N: This is a little shorter than my last piece, and, unfortunately, I think my last piece was also much better. I feel more comfortable with dark and sad story lines, but I will let my readers tell me what they think of my little journey into happiness. Please read and review. Your reviews make my day and keep me motivated to try more stories. I'm circling around a few ideas for longer stories right now, but cannot seem to nail down any specific ideas. Thanks for reading! - SH
