Wizards, Buttercups, and Wayward Spells

By Dragon's Daughter 1980

Disclaimer: Other than being a fan, I have nothing to do with Harry Potter.

Spoilers: Post-Deathly Hallows

Author's Note: Nearly two years ago, as part of a color fic meme, I was given the prompt Ron/Hermione, yellow. I found this in my computer archives recently and realized that I never got around to posting it, so here it is. Enjoy!

"Are you sure that's a real spell?"

It wasn't love at first sight by any means, but then again, they were just eleven years old when they first met, both of them onboard a train speeding to a destination unknown. She had been exhilarated and terrified, determined to be the expert at the top of the class because she wasn't going to give anyone a reason to ever pick on her again. She was defensive because deference meant vulnerability—if you confessed ignorance, you confessed weakness. So she had barraged into a random compartment and demanded to know if either of its occupants had seen a toad.

Looking back, she could laugh at the bizarre conversation that transpired between the three of them, but then… then she had been eager to see real magic and she was sharply disappointed when the pet rat hadn't turned yellow. If a real wizard couldn't make the rat yellow, then what chance would she have? Her parents were taking a ridiculous chance sending her off to a school that taught magic and she was taking a massive leap of faith into the unknown in order to start over, but she had to succeed for all of that to be worth it. She covered all of her fear with skepticism and sharp words (because the best defense was a strong offense), but that was before she knew Fred and George Weasley and their reputation to pull pranks on everyone about nearly anything.

She wished Fred was here now, to see her walk down the aisle in her ivory dress robes—fashioned more like a traditional wedding gown with a tight and high bodice that flared out into a wide skirt—as his brother's bride, to officially welcome her into the family like he sort of did all those years ago. After all, if it wasn't for the stupid spell he taught Ron, she wouldn't have probably remembered her fiancé for longer than a few minutes (she had walked away from that compartment mulling over their comparatives abilities, satisfied that she would have a fighting chance to be respected by her peers instead of taunted for not being pretty enough), wouldn't have made herself memorable enough to be remembered later on. She blinked back her tears; it wouldn't do for a bride to be crying sad tears on her wedding day.

A knock on her door drew her out of her thoughts, and she called, "Come in."

Ginny slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Hi. Are you almost ready? Ron's driving himself nuts downstairs."

She laughed. "Almost, Mum's just gone to get the veil."

Ginny shifted nervously, and that's when she realized her sister-in-law had one hand hidden behind her back, so she asked a little cautiously, "Ginny?"

"Um, you know how you wanted roses in your hair, and how Ron didn't argue with that?"

"Yes."

"He, erm, he kind of changed his mind." Ginny took her hand out from behind her back to show the bride what she was concealing. "He said that you'd understand?"

Hermione almost burst into tears right then, surprised and touched by his act. Her crown of white roses now had buttercups interwoven between the blossoms, bits of sunshine yellow peeking out from behind the soft ivory. What better way to pay tribute to the day they first met, and to remember a fallen brother, than to have the color of laughter and happiness in her hair?

She smiled and laughed. "Yes, I do."

Ginny gave her a look that clearly said that she thought Hermione and her brother were quite possibly mad, but that she loved them anyway (or because of it). What she did say aloud was a brisk, "All right then, so my brother's escaped death once today, and that's quite enough. Let's get you ready."

So Ms. Hermione Granger walked down the aisle, with a rose bouquet in her hands and buttercups in her hair, to become Mrs. Hermione Weasley. After the First Kiss, she laughed with Ron when the yellow flowers turned into a cloud of butterflies that flew off into the sky under a warm spring sun. She imagined that Fred was laughing and celebrating with them, and this was his way of showing it.

For all the rest of their years as husband and wife, Ron and Hermione always brought buttercups to visit Fred's grave, for yellow was the color Fred had used that brought the two of them together, and for that, they would always be thankful.