a/n: Hello everyone! This is just a little idea I had while listening to Speak Now by Taylor Swift. I quite like it. I hope you do too! Be sure to review! Thank you very much!
Hermione rubbed the heavy paper of the wedding invitation with her thumb and forefinger, the silver ink of the announcement felt as if it burned a hole in her skin.
"You've been cordially invited to the wedding of George Fabian Weasley and Angelina Marie Johnson on the 15th of this October."
It was hard to ignore the black and white picture of Angelina and George spinning on the bottom of the wedding invitation. They both had contented smiles on their faces. They did not look like two people who were madly in love. Instead, they looked like two people who were together because it was expected.
Hermione loved George. She had for four years. It started the night of Harry's move to the Burrow. When the seven Potters were in flight and she watched Snape's curse hit George, she'd known. The feeling became even stronger as she helped Mrs. Weasley patch up his missing ear. She'd always admired George. His general lassiez faire attitude, his ability to get high marks without trying, and his creativity. It didn't hurt he was handsome too with his messy ginger hair and mischevious blue eyes.
After the war, she'd played comforter and helped him heal from his loss of Fred. She cried with him and promised he'd be better one day. She'd helped him open his joke shop back up. Helped him clean out Fred's room. Hermione had always wanted to throw herself in his arms and spill every feeling she had for him. But she'd always been too afraid. She played it safe and watched him walk away with Angelina Johnson.
She would go to the wedding out of obligation to the Weasley family. She'd go as Ron's date, begrudgingly sit through the ceremony, dance at the reception, politely chat over the catering and then go home and cry the rest of her life. Hermione threw the invitation on her kitchen table in annoyance. She'd looked at it a thousand times. How dare she even think she could do anything about this union. George wasn't happy. Angelina wasn't happy. They were doing this because of Fred. They'd get married, Angelina would pretend George was the twin she actually loved, George would play the act of a devoted husband, they'd have a few red haired kids and begrudgingly grow old together. And Hermione would live on, growing into a shriveled old maid, living a lonely existence reading books and becoming more clever than she already was. She could get another cat, or four perhaps. She'd be fine without love. She'd be just fine without George Weasley.
Hermione Granger did not want to be just fine. It only gave her one option. She'd have to stop the wedding. She'd seen it done before. Loads of times actually. American Muggle movies had a lovely way of making wedding ruining seem easy. She'd confess how she felt, and George would apologize to Angelina and then run away with Hermione. End of story.
The next morning, Hermione Granger found herself in a purple cocktail dress and heels, sitting in a hard back chair in the garden of the Burrow. Ron sat at her left in dress robes, a small smile on his face.
"You look great, Mione."
Hermione nodded in thanks but kept her eyes forward at the marquee. George stood in dress robes, his hair disheveled and the color of fire. His blue eyes met with hers momentarily before flickering to a crashing sound in the back of the tent. A grim frown appeared on his face. Hermione could not make out the words, but the voice was none other than Angelina. The former Quidditch captain was on a rampage behind the curtains, and Hermione was thankful she was not the bridesmaid who had disturbed the witch.
Hermione took in a deep breath and tightened her grip on her purse. She wasn't the kind of girl who ruined people's weddings. But George was not the boy who should be marrying the wrong girl. Hermione's eyes flickered to Angelina's parents. They were seated on the front row of the left side with both of their hands folded in their laps. Both wore outlandish pastel pink robes. Ick.
Then the music started. The wedding march was being played from the ornate golden balloons that hung from the tent rafters. It should have been beautiful, but to Hermione, it sounded like a funeral march.
Angelina entered from the back of the tent, her white dress making her look like a cupcake with too much buttercream icing. She floated down the aisle with grace, taking slow steps down the golden carpet at her feet. She was absolutely beautiful. She was supposed to have a wedding like this, but it wasn't supposed to be to George. She knew it was supposed to be Fred standing at the alter waiting for her. Not his twin brother.
Angelina stepped up besides George and they didn't look at one another, but Hermione did catch George's eye one more time before he turned to face the short white haired wizard from the Minsitry of Magic. The master of ceremonies began his spiel on love and loss and overcoming one's hardships to find real love. Hermione wasn't listening. She stared intently at the back of George's head. Waiting for that one line.
"Now, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Hermione gulped and stood. Ron grabbed her arm to pull her down, but she shook him off. The wedding guest gasped and Mrs. Weasley looked as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Don't do it, George."
"Hermoine?" George sputtered. Angelina's face flushed and she scowled.
"You don't love her and she doesn't love you." Hermione said, grasping her shaking hands together. She kept her brown eyes forward, not taking them away from George's own blue ones. "You both are doing this because of Fred. You both think you have to step in and continue living his life as he would have. But you can't , George. You aren't him. Angelina knows it, you know it. You may love each other, but you're not in love with her. He was supposed to make her a Weasley. Not you, George. Just please, don't say yes. Just runaway."
"Why do you even care?" Angelina's voice bordered on hysteria and tears had sprung in her deep brown eyes.
"Because I'm in love with George." Hermione looked away from the confused George as the crowd gasped at her statement. She suddenly felt very exposed, she flushed red. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
With that, Hermione Granger apparated into the living room of her flat at Diagon Alley and collapsed into a fit of tears on her couch. She'd ruined his wedding. He'd hate her forever now. She should have kept her mouth shut. She hid her face in her hands.
"Hermione?"
She didn't look up at the sound of his voice. He was Angelina's now. It'd been an hour since her interruption. He had to be married.
George dropped to his knees in front of Hermione and took her hands in his own, gently pulling them away from her face. He let go of her right hand and brought his own to rest under her chin, forcing her to look at him. George was crouching before her, still in his dress robes. His blue eyes dance brightly as he looked at her tear stained face.
"You're mad, you know." He said chuckling, causing Hermione to burst into another fit of tears. "Oh no, don't cry, Hermione. I was only joking." With the edge of his thumb, he brushed her tears away.
"I'm s-s-so s-s-sorry." Hermione choked out, feeling absolutely ridiculous. She gulped in air and composed herself. "Please, give Angelina my sincerest apologies."
"I don't think I'll be seeing Angelina for a while." George said. "She's going on holiday to figure out what she wants."
"Oh." It's all Hermione could say.
"And since I've already figured what I want, I figured I might as well come find it." George gave a wolfish grin.
"What is it you want?"
"You."
George pulled Hermione down to him and planted a kiss on her tear soaked lips. They tasted each other eagerly, their lips making up for all the wasted time between them. Hermione leaned forward, letting her hands roam through his ginger hair. She then lost her balance and crashed down on top of him on the floor, letting out a squeak, which was followed by a laugh from George.
"I love you Hermione Granger, you mad witch."
Hermione smiled and kissed him joyfully on the lips.