Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
A/N: This is just a bit of rubbish I thought up today. Enjoy!
"Hermione you look beautiful." Ginny Weasley played with the bottom of Hermione's white dress.
Hermione stared into the mirror and brushed a piece of non-existent dust off her dress. Her curly chestnut hair swept half up and clipped back with a simple silver clip holding the veil securely in place. Her make-up was flawless and her dress hugged her body closely, shimmering with any slight movement.
"Are you nervous?" Hermione looked at Ginny in the mirror and smiled at her.
"I'm nervous, but happy."
Ginny held Hermione's shoulders lovingly. "Every bride is nervous. You're doing much better than me. I was a nervous wreck from the moment Harry asked me to marry him." Hermione smiled at her close friend, remembering the terrible bought of nerves that seemed to plague Ginny for months before the wedding day.
She looked back at herself in the mirror and stared at her wedding dress. It was simple, elegant, and refined, flowing out at the bottom into a short, classic train. A knock echoed on the door and Mrs. Weasley bustled in.
"Oh! You look marvelous dear!" She pulled Hermione into a tight hug, which she returned awkwardly, and smiled at the misty-eyed look that graced Molly's face as she pulled away. Suddenly, recollection jolted onto her face and she gave a slight yelp. "I forgot! Draco would like to see you dear, shall I send him in?"
Ginny looked to Hermione, worried and nervous. She knew Hermione hadn't talked to, seen, or heard from Draco since the night he walked out on her and their fleeting romance. It went by quickly, nothing about Hermione and Draco's relationship was ever slow. Ginny also recalled that she had never seen Hermione happier than when she was with Draco, with the exception of the party after The Final Battle, where Harry finally defeated Voldemort. But, they were both too stubborn to admit they needed each other and when he disappeared, neither one ever sought the other for reconciliation.
Ginny held her friend as she cried herself to sleep for weeks; Hermione hadn't even left her bed for the entire first week. Eventually, she left her misery behind and got involved with Ron. Now, at twenty-two, they were getting married, and Draco (who most likely had not been invited in the first place) was waiting outside, on the morning of her wedding.
The ginger-haired girl finally broke out of her memories and focused in on Hermione, who was ghostly and nervous. She looked as if it pained her just to hear his name again. She gathered herself up and nodded to Molly. "Let him in Molly."
Ginny and Molly were both shocked, but moved toward the door and watched Hermione carefully as he stepped into the room, still a commanding force but obviously unsettled. He turned toward the other women in the room and spoke calmly, "Can we have some privacy please ladies?"
His dulcet tone rang in her ears and sent a shiver throughout her body. Hermione looked to the floor and regained her thoughts, finding herself alone with him. "Hello." She spoke softly and risked a glance at him.
He let out a long, slow breath as she locked eyes with him. His eyes glistening and shining with the loving gaze that she had missed so dearly. His signature emerald shirt clung to him, tucked into his black and silver pinstriped pants, bringing a smile to her face and a thought of his true Slytherin pride. She was lost his appearance and his new hairstyle, still short, but just long enough to play in front of his silver eyes.
"You look gorgeous." She pulled her eyes away from him and looked down at her dress. "Weasley is a lucky man." Hermione turned back to him, worried.
"Draco, please—"
"No, Hermione I need to say this." He looked her up and down, taken by her beauty, more than ever before. "I need you to hear this. It's—" he sighed "It's hard for me to say, and I should have told you sooner." Draco stepped toward her with his arm stretched out.
Hermione stepped backward cautiously, knowing if he tried to kiss her she wouldn't be able to say no. He stopped and looked down.
"I'm sorry, I won't—" she had never seen him so uncomfortable or unsure of himself. "I- sorry. I just need you to know…well that is I…" Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking at his feet. "I love you Hermione." He looked up at her. "I always have, I think. And I know I always will." Her eyes began to water and her breath caught in her throat.
"I should've said it sooner; this is a terrible time to bring it up. Anyway, I, uh, I hope Ron makes you happy. Good luck to you both." He walked backwards to the door as he talked and got more and more awkward and nervous as he got further away.
She had never seen him so helpless, so broken, and so utterly in love. Questions began racing in her mind as soon as he shut the door behind him. She sat on the vanity chair and stared blankly at the wall. Did Ron love her the way Draco did? Would she ever love him the way she had loved, maybe still loved, Draco? Would she be happy with him? Would she be content with Ron, or still yearn for the soft touch of her first love?
Hermione looked at herself in the mirror, through the tears that were beginning to form and heard the door opening softly behind her.
"Hermione, um, it's time to go…that is, if you're ready." Ginny poked her head in and Hermione quickly wiped away the tears and righted herself. One more look in the mirror and her mind was made up.
"Ginny—I, I can't. Tell Ron I'm sorry please." She pulled her dress off the floor and ran down the hallway with Ginny yelling after her.
Hermione ran to the front of the church, tears falling freely now and a smile on her face. "Draco!" She cried out to him when she rounded the corner, even though he wasn't anywhere in the lobby.
She stopped momentarily at the door, watching the rain smack against the pavement outside before spotting him headed for town and running after him. "Draco!" she called out to him again.
He heard her and turned slowly, their eyes locking. When she finally reached him, he grabbed her arms and looked at her utterly confused. "Hermione what are you—"
"I love you!" She cried. "I couldn't bear spending the rest of my life with Ron, knowing that I'll never love him as much as I love you." She pulled his collar and brought his lips down to hers, he returned it with earnest, pulling her close.
"Are you sure about this Hermione?" He asked her, pulling away and staring at her soaked dress.
"Draco I'm standing with you in the rain on my wedding day! In my very expensive custom gown, while my fiancé's sister is explaining to him why I'm not walking down the aisle right now!" She looked at him with a smile on her face, ignoring the rain and tears making her mascara run and her hair wilt and stick to her. "Please don't tell me you're having second thoughts because I'm fairly certain Ron isn't too happy with me right now and I can't exactly run in and tell everyone I've changed my mind again. After all I—"
"Hermione!" Draco put his hands on her arms and held her still. "You're ranting love." And smiled at her: lovingly, sure, and confident.