"You're a girl."
"Oh, well spotted!"
Chapter 1: Wedding Plans
A/N: This is going to be a long story! Will follow Ron and Hermione through the process of having a wedding, and through Hermione's first pregnancy. Hopefully it should be pretty good! Please R&R! Don't care if you read three words or three pages, every review counts! Hope you readers enjoy!
"Molly! Molly, how does this look?"
"Oh, darling, you know I think it looks wonderful! Maybe a few alterations though…"
Hermione turned around in the mirror, admiring the long train of the white dress she was trying on. It had a beaded strapless bodice, a waist that clung to her own, and a sweeping satin train.
"What alterations would you possibly make to it?"
"Oh, I don't know…maybe a slightly higher neckline…"
Hermione rolled her eyes, picking up the skirt in her hands and turning around, which was quite a process. "Molly, I like your good intentions, but please, times have changed."
Her future mother-in-law smiled kindly. "Of course, of course. You're right, sweetie. The dress is gorgeous."
Hermione swept herself back around to face the mirror. "I don't know…maybe it's a little bit too much."
"Well—"
"Yeah. You know what? It's too much. Let's try again tomorrow."
"Well, if you're sure, dear."
They hugged as they departed the bridal shop, Mrs. Weasley heading towards the Burrow, a few miles from the shop, and Hermione to an alley to Disapparate back to the flat that she and Ron shared. Ron had proposed six months ago, exactly two years after the big battle. The two were both twenty years old.
The wedding was scheduled in five weeks, and everyone was starting to panic. Ginny, Hermione's maid of honor, had been scrambling around like mad, getting the flowers, the pavilion, the food, the music. She had insisted that she plan the wedding, and let the bride-to-be relax while things got done. Naturally, that wasn't happening, and Hermione herself was elbow-deep in the plans as well. The search for the perfect dress had been going on for nearly a week, and she still could find nothing.
With a CRACK, Hermione twisted on the spot and disappeared into thin air, reappearing seconds later in another alleyway in London, a block from her apartment. She smoothed her hair and took a deep breath. She had never really liked the sensation of Apparition. She hurried around the corner and up the stairs of the apartment building.
She turned the key in the lock, entered, closed the door, and leaned back against it, closing her eyes with a tired sigh.
"Hermione? That you?" Ron called from the kitchen.
She sighed again and her eyes flew open. "Yeah, it's me." She said, slipping her shoes off and walking down the narrow hallway to the kitchen. She found Ron digging through the storage cabinets, with an empty box of crackers in his hand and a carton of milk in the other.
"Ron! What on Earth are you doing?"
He shrugged, swallowing a huge mouthful of food. "You were late, I thought I'd eat before you got home." He froze. "Wait, you're not mad, are you?"
She checked her watch, a gift from Luna a few months ago. "Shoot, I am late. No, hun, I'm not mad. Just go to the table and I'll get some real food."
He shrugged again, pecking her on the cheek before going to sit at the dining room table. Hermione scrambled around the kitchen for a minute, quickly assembling a salad and placing it on the table in front of Ron.
He dug in quickly, pausing to ask, "Aren't you going to have some?"
She shook her head. "Too tired."
He grunted sympathetically. "No luck today?"
She shook her head again, tears starting to prick her eyes.
Ron looked up from his deep concentration on the food when he heard her sniffle. He looked alarmed. "What's wrong? Did I do something?" He asked with his mouth full. It ended up coming out more like, "At ong? I oo ing?"
Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "No, Ron, you—" hiccup "—didn't do anything. I'm just starting to wonder if this thing is ever going to get done. We've only got five weeks left to prepare, and you don't even h-help!"
"So…I did do something?"
She hiccupped again and smacked his bicep lightly. "No, Ron, and I'm sorry to get all worked up…really stressful day…"
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Mum giving you a hard time?"
She giggled. "No, actually! If you don't mind me saying I thought she was going to be extremely worse! But with Ginny rushing around trying to do everything and with me trying to get stuff done and with half of the Wizarding World, it seems, trying to help, surprisingly nothing seems to be getting done!"
He laughed. "It sounds like you, sweetie, need to go to bed. You'll feel better in the morning."
She laughed softly. "If you say so, Ronald." She gave him a light kiss on the lips before heading off to the bedroom.
Twenty minutes later, when Ron had finished his supper and cleaned it up with a wave of his wand, the dishes falling haphazardly into the sink and the water shooting out of the faucet at an alarming speed to clean them, Ron himself padded down the hall to the bedroom. The light on was on, but Hermione was fast asleep. It looked like she hadn't even touched her book that night.
Ron slipped out of his Muggle jeans and t shirt and into a nightshirt and baggy pants before sliding under the covers. Hermione was curled toward him, her eyelashes fluttering and her hair spread across the pillow. He stroked her hair lovingly, the big bushy mane that had, in time, tamed itself into long, smooth waves down to her ribcage. He gave her a light kiss on the top of her head before flicking out the light with his wand and drifting off to sleep.
The next day when Ron woke up, he rolled over, reaching his arms out to wrap Hermione in them like he did every morning. But Hermione wasn't there. He sat up sleepily, calling "Hermione!" as loudly as possible. There was no answer.
He slipped his feet into slippers. It was nearly November and it was getting very cold in London. He slid down the hall, calling "Hermione!" again.
He stumbled into the kitchen to find a note on the table.
Ron,
Gone out flower shopping with Ginny. I won't be home till later, I have a meeting with people to rent the venue at one and then I have to go to work for a bit. Breakfast (a piece of toast and jam) is on the counter, there's spaghetti and meatballs in the freezer, and we can order in some food for dinner. Please try and get some stuff done today, okay?
Love you,
Hermione
Ron finished reading, immediately shuffling to the counter to devour the breakfast. A piece of toast. Slightly disappointed, he thought he'd go over to Harry's and see if he'd go get a butterbeer with him. They'd been meaning to catch up too; they hadn't seen each other in over a week. Since they lived less than six blocks apart, they felt this was unacceptable. He quickly Floo'd over.
Meanwhile, at Wizarding Bouquets, Hermione and Ginny were poring over different flower arrangements.
"I don't know, I like the lavender in here, but it might clash with the green in the bridesmaids' dresses." Ginny was saying.
Hermione shook her head. "No no no no no. I'm not having anything classified as 'lavender' at my wedding."
Ginny giggled. "Still a touchy subject then? Is Lavender even invited?"
"No she is not." Hermione stated matter-of-factly.
"Figured. Ron make any comment on that? Something very tactless? That would be very like him."
Hermione shook her head. "To be honest, Ron doesn't do much to help plan, and I don't know if I want him to. I can't seem to shake the feeling that he might completely screw something up if I leave him in charge."
Ginny shrugged. "Well you've got a point there. Let's just hope it stays this way."
Hermione shook her head to clear it. "No, Ginny, we're not getting off topic again! Come on, this at least needs to get done today!"
"Right, right. How about this? White and red?"
"No, too Christmas-y. Maybe the white and pink?"
Ginny made a "hmmm.." sound, her lips pursed. "You know? I like that. That'll look nice."
Hermione perked up. "Really?"
"No, Hermione, I'm lying to get your hopes up. Of course I think it looks nice!"
Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "All right then…well we've got that done!"
They placed their orders and left, scribbling Ginny's address so the flowers could be delivered in time.
The rest of the day went smoothly, certainly much more productive than the last. There was still no luck in finding a dress, but the arrangements were set for the wedding to be held at Ivy Pavilion, a giant, open structure not too far from the Burrow. Things were getting better.