Chapter 1
Too much information
Hermione Granger groaned and rolled over in her bed, mumbling angrily into her pillow before pulling herself more upright and blinking at her open curtains. She hadn't closed them the previous night.
The watery daylight pushed back at the darkened edges of dawn, reclaiming the colours of day that had been washed into grey by the moonlit night. The world came back like a freshly developed photograph, every colour bright and new. Hermione wanted to vomit.
She heard, very vaguely, someone apparating into her living room and threw off her covers, setting her feet on the cold floor. The cold licked at her face and crept under her clothes, spreading across her skin like the lacy tide on a frigid winter beach; she shivered and wrapped her arms around her tightly.
"Hermione?" Ginny's voice called out, sounding frightfully excited for such an early hour of the morning. "'Mione where are you?"
Hermione stumbled into her hallway, closer to her best friend and most annoying person at the moment. "What is it, Ginny?"
Ginevra didn't feel insulted by the rude tone in Hermione's voice; in fact, she only smiled wider and yanked the smaller brunette woman closer and hugged her with all the ferocity of a mother bear.
"Harry proposed, 'Mi!" she squealed loudly. "This morning… he got on one knee and stammered through a – rather badly written – speech before giving me a ring!"
Hermione pulled back quickly and stared at her friend, studying her closely. She was a striking woman, built on the generous lines of a Renaissance goddess; none of the Renaissance masters, however, had ever employed a model so strikingly Hibernian. She had lovely brown eyes, and a fair, highly-coloured complexion; and today she wore green, which went well with her flaming red hair. Not to mention her fierce Molly Weasley-like personality... No wonder Harry had become so smitten with her in sixth year.
"That's great." Hermione finally managed, offering Ginny a lopsided smile, before making a beeline for her kitchen. She needed coffee.
"I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honour…" Ginny asked timidly, following Hermione's footsteps. "Obviously, Fleur'll be a bridesmaid too, but I'd appreciate you standing right next to me in order to smack me if I stumble over my vows."
Hermione had the good graces to chuckle, "Of course, Gin. I'd be honoured to be your maid of honour."
Ginny beamed at her and sat down at the tiny oak table, "Good… because the wedding is in two weeks."
Hermione, in the middle of swallowing, gasped and choked. Her face drained of colour as she turned to stare at Ginny like the girl had grown a second head. "What?"
"We don't want to wait, 'Mi." Ginny blushed, "Mum's already beside herself with joy and I love Harry… I want to start our eternity as soon as possible."
Hermione blinked several times and fell into a chair opposite Ginny, glaring at the patterns in the wood as if they'd murdered baby Panda bears. It was too sudden. Everything had just started settling back into a more peaceful state of living and now Ginny and Harry decide to lay this on her?
"Don't you think it's a little too much, so soon?" Hermione asked. "I'm sorry Ginny, but I really think you're moving too fast."
"No." Ginny said stoically. "Please, Hermione, don't spoil this moment. The only thing I want is for you to be happy with me."
"I am happy." Hermione said. "I'm very happy that you got engaged to the man you've liked since first year and been in love with since fourth, but I just think-"
"You think too much!" Ginny said, slapping her palm against the wood. "We're getting married two weeks from today, we have a wedding to plan and you're going to help me!"
Hermione blinked at Ginny and gave a reluctant sigh, "Just give me an hour to get dressed and I'll meet you in Diagon Alley; provided you have a list of things we need to find."
Ginny nodded resolutely and stood up quickly before disapparating with a 'pop'.
An hour later, when Hermione had dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a black t-shirt, she gathered her wand and disapparated. When she opened her eyes, she found that she'd landed right in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
Ginny was waiting across the street, at Twilfitt and Tatting's, with Teddy Lupin in a pushchair. He beamed widely and reached for Hermione as she approached, changing his hair a light shade of chestnut.
"Hey you." Hermione smiled, lifting him onto her hip smoothly. "Right, where do we start?"
"Twilfitt's for bridesmaid dresses." Ginny replied, shrinking the pushchair and stuffing it into her purse as she led Hermione inside.
"How may we help you dears?" a kindly old lady behind the desk asked. Hermione could see her trying to reign in her excitement that they had walked in and almost giggled; instead she turned to Teddy as Ginny explained what she was looking for.
"Sorry, 'Mi, you're wearing red to a Weasley wedding again." Ginny simpered as the lady went to the back to pull samples of dresses. "Though, I must say, you always look dashing in red."
"It's your wedding, Gin; I'd wear a dementor cloak if you asked me." Hermione laughed. Teddy tugged at her hair and pointed excitedly to a man selling candyfloss outside.
"Not now, love." Hermione told him, "When we leave this shop, I'll buy you some."
He pouted slightly but nodded, continuing his trail along her arm with light fingertips and occasional noises that he'd picked up from watching Ron and Harry on their brooms.
"Right, I have some options for you, Ms. Weasley… if you'll follow me then Ms. Granger can fit them." The lady said, "I'll go fetch something to keep the baby occupied."
They followed her into a private dressing room and Hermione handed Teddy off to Ginny before following the old woman into a fitting room. She stared at the clothes in front of her and let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
Red dresses, about thirty of them, hung in an orderly line on a rack against the wall; waiting to be fitted and maybe approved by bride-Ginny.
"Shall we?" the old lady asked, a hint of amusement in her features. "We'll start off on the right?"
Hermione nodded and started stripping her clothes, feeling awfully uncomfortable with another woman in the room.
"I like this one." Ginny said, "The ruffles along the neckline are a little distracting though."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "You don't say… I'd have Ron and/or Teddy playing with them all night… not to mention the other bridesmaids."
"Not this one then?" Frigga, the old woman that had been helping them, asked for the tenth time.
"Not this one." Ginny agreed, "It'll just cause trouble."
Frigga nodded wearily and ushered an equally tired Hermione back into the dressing room, stripping her quickly and stuffing her into a new dress. This one was a little darker than the others and also a little tighter; Hermione tried to hold back her distaste as best she could as not to offend Frigga.
The door opened, Ginny sat more upright, and everyone turned to the mirror before giving a collective groan.
"No!" Frigga yelled. "Modesty is key, come!"
Hermione rushed back into the cubicle and took off the dress, allowing Frigga to hand her the next one. Hermione slipped it on and instantly felt comfortable in the chiffon material. "This is nice."
"It's a Parkinson." Frigga said. "Valerie Parkinson."
"As in Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione asked, nose scrunching.
"Her cousin… lives in France now." Frigga said. "She's most popular because of her technique and comfort."
"Let's have Gin decide then…" Hermione said, smoothing out the dress before opening the door and stepping into the dressing room. She expected to find Ginny waiting expectantly for them but was shocked by the sight in front of her.
Draco Malfoy holding Teddy as if he'd known him for years and years. Smiling. And Ginny just sitting there, watching them.
Hermione gaped openly as she observed his sharp jaw, chin, and cheekbones. On either side of his straight nose were two blazing grey eyes. Eyes as grey as the ash in a dying fire. His light brows were actually graceful, but currently furrowed in a frown as he looked up at her. All of it was framed by thick, messy platinum blonde hair. Part of her said she should get a hold of herself. She let out a shaky breath as memories of Malfoy Manor came rushing to the forefront of her mind.
"Malfoy." She wheezed, swallowing thickly as his eyes travelled fleetingly to her left arm and back to her face.
"Granger." He intoned, setting Teddy down gently. "I'll be around at noon to pick him up, Weasley, see you."
She nodded once and watched him leave the shop, turning to look guiltily at Hermione – who had turned as red as a Weasley's head.
"I think I like that dress the most." Ginny said sheepishly, biting her lip.
