A deep breath. That was all she needed. Hermione had dreamt of this day so often. Had been counting down the weeks, days, hours till this moment, and now she was shaking so hard she didn't think she could do it.

Hermione stood outside the church, looking at the closed doors, lost in thoughts. Everyone was already inside, just waiting for her to enter. She felt a hand lightly squeeze her shoulder.

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice was soft, Hermione looked at her through a thin veil of tears, only to see the same tears mirrored in Ginny's eyes. "are you ready?"

She nodded once, and reached a hand to pull the veil down over her face. She took another gulp of the cool clean air and spoke,

"Ok, I'm ready". Ginny smiled at her and nodded, slipping into the church before her quietly.

Taking one step forward Hermione hesitated only briefly. How many times had she thought of this day, dreamt it, and planned it, with both Ginny and Harry. And now it was finally here, finally today. She looked down at her white dress, and gently ran a gloved hand over her skirt to smooth it, before taking another step forward. She could picture him now, smiling broadly at her up the aisle, eagerly awaiting her, ready to make her his wife. His emerald eyes sparkling with tears she could feel herself shedding even now.

With another step she stood directly at the doors. With one hand she pushed gently, opening both doors widely. Every head in the congregation turned to look at her, many faces showing tears of their own, her parents stood at the front of the church, watching their daughter in her wedding dress slowly walk towards them. Mr and Mrs Weasley, as close to parents as Harry had ever known, also watching her, Mrs Weasley smiling at her whilst the tears trickled down her face. She smiled back at all of them through her own tears, her friends, her family.

Looking to the end of the aisle, she saw him there, waiting for her. Her other best friend by his side, supporting both of them. She was aware that Ron had thought them both too young for this step, as had many others, her parents for one. Her mind briefly cast back to the night Harry had sat beside her as she told her mother and father they were going to be married. How angry her Dad had been. How her Mom had cried and told her that eighteen was just too young to decide that. How adamantly and passionately Harry had declared his love for her, and his desire to be with her for the rest of their lives. She bit back a bittersweet laugh at the memory, thinking it would hardly be appropriate here. She bowed her head for a second, and slowed her pace, wanting to take her time, to savour this walk. She felt as though this was still a dream, that she wasn't really here, walking towards him in this church right now.

She thought of the news she had only just received, news that she hadn't had time to share with him, the hand that wasn't holding a bouquet drifted briefly to her stomach as her tears came a little stronger now.

She looked back up as she reached the end of the aisle, straight into Ron's eyes. He stepped forward to envelop her in a tight embrace.

"Oh Ron" she whispered into his ear as he held her tightly.

"I know Hermione, I know" he whispered back before she withdrew from his comforting arms. She turned to look at Harry, and her tears became full sobs as she looked at the wooden box that now held her fiancé. She felt herself sobbing and struggling to catch her breath, as her knees became weak and Ron caught her as she fell to the ground.

The news had come a day earlier, the day before they were due to be married. Harry had been killed whilst fighting an unknown death eater, after having finally defeated Voldemort the previous year. He had thought himself indestructible she had often thought, now he had been proven wrong. Only six months after they had left school and now he was gone. Gone, like so many others before him. He really wasn't coming home again. How could this happen to her?

The beautiful wedding day they had planned together would now be his funeral. She could feel someone behind her and heard Ginny's soothing words at her ear as she cried, cried for the lost future she had dreamt of, for the happy news that he'd never know, and for the loss of her first love.