Chapter 1

"Hermione, you look beautiful," Harry gushed. She smiled prettily back at him, and he remembered the buckteeth that had been there so many years ago. Her bushy hair had been coaxed into ringlets and her blue eyes shone happily. Harry couldn't help but laugh when he thought about who this was, and how she'd changed.

            "What's so funny?" Hermione asked, mischief in her eyes.

            "Oh, everything," Harry answered. "Think back to first year. If I told you you'd be marrying Ron Weasly, what would you have done?"

            Hermione laughed. "Cried, I think." She spun around and adjusted her veil in the mirror. "I guess that just shows how people change."

            "Yeah…well, I think I better check on Ron. Best man's gotta do what a best man's gotta do."

            "Okay. Wish me luck."

            "Luck," Harry obeyed, giving his best friend a kiss on the cheek. "See you in a few minutes." He walked down the familiar corridor of the Burrow to Ron's old room. He entered to see a twenty-three year old Ron struggling with a tie.

            "What am I going to do with you?" Harry sighed.

            Ron looked up, just as he finally managed a decent looking knot. "You're going to help me get ready. Hand me those robes, will you?" Harry grabbed the midnight black robes off Ron's bed (still covered in orange) and handed them to Ron, who slipped them over his crisp white shirt and tie. With a final look in the mirror, Ron turned to Harry and asked, "Whaddaya think?"

            "You look great, mate. So does Hermione."

            Excitement flickered in Ron's eyes. "You saw her?"

            Harry nodded. "It's like our Graduation Ball times a million."

            Ron sighed. "Bloody Hell, I'm nervous,"

            "About spending your whole life with someone?"

            Ron shot an oh-please look Harry's way. "Of course not. I just want everything to be perfect for 'Mione. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be marrying her."

            "Yeah," Harry said quietly. "Yeah, you are."

***

            Harry stood in the Weasly's backyard, watching Ron and Hermione say their vows. Harry, however, was thinking more about his comment to Ron. He was incredibly lucky, as was Hermione. Harry was happy for his best friends, but he was also jealous. They had found each other, loved each other. But Harry…Harry didn't think anyone could ever love him.

            He had girlfriends, of course, but nothing serious. Lavender Brown, who was present today, had been a past girlfriend, as were Florence Hart, Sarah Wilkes, and Cho Chang. He had even taken Ginny Weasly on a few dates, but mostly because he and Ginny were pushed to do so by the Weasly family. But he never took any of them seriously. He couldn't. Ever since he defeated Voldermort in his seventh year, yet failing it to save his godfather Sirius, he had felt empty. He guessed was because he had always thought killing Voldermort would be, in a way, like bringing his family back.

But it hadn't. He still had his friends, but soon they all graduated and joined 'the real world.' Ever since that time, Harry had felt incredible loneliness. And he didn't know how to fix it.