A/N - This is just a little story I wrote as I had a break from working on my longer stories. It's totally fluffy with no drama or angst, so if that's what you're after than this story probably isn't for you. It's meant to be a nice little story that hopefully some people will enjoy.
It was a warm July morning as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley boarded an aeroplane in Los Angeles, destined for London. It had been just over four years ago that Harry had defeated Voldemort and saved the wizarding world. It had also been nearly four years since either man had set foot in the UK.
In the direct aftermath of the war Ron and Harry had been happy to spend time with their friends and family as they coped with what had happened and dealt with the losses they had suffered. It was as people started to make plans for the future that Harry and Ron realised that they didn't want to rush into anything, they had spent the last seven years fighting Voldemort in one way or an another and all they really wanted to do was relax and forget all about dark wizards. That was when the two boys decided to go travelling for a while.
Harry and Ron had asked their other best friend, Hermione Granger, to join them on their travels. Hermione however wanted to return to school and retake the year she had missed out on. With Hermione returning to Hogwarts alongside Ron's younger sister, Ginny, it was decided that the two boys would go travelling while the girls attended school and by the time school finished in late June, the boys would return and the four of them would be reunited.
Unfortunately by the time Harry and Ron had been travelling nine months and it was time to return home, neither of them were ready to give up their globetrotting. Figuring it wouldn't hurt if they extended their stay a few more weeks the boys wrote letters home explaining their decision and travelled onto their next destination. Weeks became months and months soon became years and before either Harry or Ron realised it they had been away for nearly four years.
Over the course of their travels they had written home sporadically and had received the occasional letter from Molly Weasley. Molly's letters rarely contained news from home, they mainly consisted of her worrying about them and wondering when they were returning. When they had left originally Harry and Ron had decided they didn't want to know what was happening back home so they deliberately stayed away from wizarding newspapers and magazines. As a result nearly four years after leaving neither man had any idea what was happening back at home.
The idea to return home had been a spur of the moment decision a few days earlier but once returning home was mentioned both Harry and Ron began looking forward to seeing their friends and family again. Before they started their travels both Harry and Ron had left potential girlfriends at home, with the understanding they would return in a few months. Neither were naive enough to expect that after four years they could just return home and pick up where they had left off but both were hoping to still stand a chance with the women in question.
Harry and Ginny had never restarted their relationship after the war, although both wanted to. For the first few months both were still grieving for loved ones and dealing with the after effects of the war, then when Harry decided to go travelling while Ginny finished school the couple put any plans to reunite on hold. Ron and Hermione however had never really gotten together. They'd spent most of the summer getting closer and by the time Hermione returned to school they were on the verge of getting together. With Hermione heading back to school and Ron heading off on his travels the couple delayed making their relationship official, instead they decided to wait until they were reunited before embarking on a relationship.
It had been the thought of potentially reuniting with Hermione and Ginny that had been the deciding factor in Ron and Harry's decision to return home. Both men knew that there was a possibility they had lost their chances with the girls but they both figured they would never know unless they returned home. Apart from Hermione and Ginny the two men missed the rest of their friends and family and were looking forward to heading back to the chaos of The Burrow.
As the plane left LAX Airport both men were lost in their own thoughts, as they wondered what sort of welcome they would receive. It was likely that several people would be annoyed by their lack of contact, they were just hoping that the fact they were returning home for good would outweigh the annoyance anyone felt. An hour into the flight Harry and Ron had stopped worrying about people's reaction to their homecoming, instead they were chatting happily and enjoying the flight.
Using muggle means of travelling between countries had been Harry's idea. After using international portkey's the first few times they switched destinations Harry suggested muggle travel as neither of them handled travelling so far by portkey very well. Not wanting to travel by portkey Ron had agreed and the two men had subsequently travelled by muggle means since then. Not having passports Harry and Ron had enchanted parchment to look like passports and whenever they travelled they always made sure to have their wands handy in case their enchantment didn't work for whatever reason. Luckily their fake passports had worked fine and no magic had ever had to be used against muggles.
"Do you have the magazines?" Ron asked Harry as they were chatting.
Before leaving America Harry and Ron had stopped by a wizarding newsagent and gotten hold of a few recent copies of British wizarding magazines and papers. While they had been traveling they hadn't been bothered about keeping up with the news but now they were returning home they figured it couldn't hurt to get reacquainted with what they had missed.
"Which one do you want?" Harry asked, looking into the bag he was carrying.
"Is there a Quidditch one?" Ron asked. Over the last few years they had seen quite a bit of Quidditch from around the globe but Ron missed his beloved Chudley Cannons.
"Here you are." Harry handed Ron a Quidditch magazine while he decided on reading a newish edition of The Daily Prophet.
Harry had deliberately booked two seats without any seats situated behind them, so no-one could look over their shoulders and spot the moving pictures in the magazines they were reading. He'd also made sure that no-one was sitting with them so they had a certain level of privacy.
For the next ten minutes or so Harry and Ron sat reading, each occasionally sharing information with the other. Harry was thrilled to read that Kingsley Shackelbolt was still the Minister for Magic, when they had left he had only been acting Minister and Harry was pleased to see that the ex-Auror had gotten the position permanently. Ron however was less thrilled to read that the Chudley Cannons had finished bottom of the league, yet again.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, turning the page to find a large picture of his sister.
"What?" Harry asked, leaning over to see what had Ron so excited. "Is that Ginny?" He asked, even though he recognised the redhead.
"Yeah." Ron nodded. "According to this she's a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and hotly tipped to be named amongst the England squad for the upcoming Quidditch World Cup, when it's announced next month."
"Wow." Harry muttered, ignoring the article and concentrating on the pictures.
The article was a double page spread on Ginny and her success over the last few years. A large picture of the smiling redhead in her Quidditch uniform was in the centre of the article while several smaller pictures were dotted around the page. The smaller pictures showed Ginny during matches and one showed her and the rest of her team celebrating with a trophy.
While Harry was busy looking at the pictures, and thinking how good Ginny looked, Ron was reading the article. Ron was hoping to find out some details about his sister's life but the article was purely about her Quidditch career and never once mentioned her personal life.
When Ron was finished the magazine he passed it to Harry and dug into the bag for another one. Pulling out a copy of Witch Weekly, Ron took one look at the front cover and snorted in disgust. The front page was dominated by a paparazzi shot of Draco Malfoy along with the headline; Britain's Hottest Wizard.
"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked, not tearing his eyes away from the article about Ginny that he was now reading.
"Draco bloody Malfoy." Ron spat. "What the hell's happened to the world if the ferret is considered a celebrity."
"What?" Harry asked, looking up. Ron showed him the magazine and Harry began reading the small print under the headline. "With his successful business empire, beautiful fiancée, money to burn and good looks Draco Malfoy is without doubt the hottest wizard in Britain. Inside is an in depth profile of the handsome wizard along with the only interview he has granted in the run up to his lavish wedding this summer."
"I'm not reading that." Ron threw the magazine down in disgust. "I don't want to know about Malfoy's perfect life. The man was a Death Eater, he shouldn't be adored like he's some sort of hero."
"It's not really fair to judge, Ron. We don't know him, he might have really changed." Harry said trying to be diplomatic. "After all when we left he was helping the Ministry track down the remaining Death Eaters."
"I suppose." Ron conceded. He knew after the war that Malfoy had been very useful to the Ministry and had revealed everything he knew about the dark side, which wasn't actually that much as his participation as a Death Eater had been forced and he wasn't trusted by Voldemort. "I'm still not reading about him though." He huffed, searching for a different magazine.
Before the flight was over Harry and Ron had read all the magazines and papers, except the one with Malfoy on the cover. They were slightly disappointed by the lack of Hermione in them but knowing how much their friend disliked the spotlight they weren't altogether surprised.
It was nearly midnight before their flight landed at Heathrow airport. The ten hour journey had taken its toll on both Harry and Ron so after getting through customs the two men found the nearest hotel and booked a room for the night. Seeing their friends and family could wait, right now all Harry and Ron wanted to do was sleep.
OOO
It was mid-afternoon before Harry and Ron woke up from their jet lagged induced sleep. After getting freshened up and having something to eat Harry and Ron decided to visit The Burrow. Leaving the hotel they apparated to The Leaky Cauldron where they used the public floo network to floo to The Burrow.
Arriving in the cosy front room of The Burrow, Harry and Ron were gobsmacked to find the house seemingly empty.
"Where is everyone?" Ron asked, not used to his family home being so quiet.
"I don't know. It's Sunday afternoon, I kind of expected everyone to be here." Harry shrugged, bemused by the lack of people in the house.
"They might be outside." Ron suggested, heading into the kitchen.
Harry followed Ron into the back garden and when there was no sign of the redhead's family outside they searched the entire house. Finding no sign of Ron's family Harry and Ron settled in the front room, they hadn't even found any indication of where the family might be.
"Perhaps they're visiting someone else for the afternoon." Ron suggested, although he couldn't really imagine his mother willingly giving up her hostess role without a fight.
"Maybe." Harry nodded as he looked around the room to find some clue as to where Ron's family may have gone.
"I suppose we could always try the rest of the family." Ron said.
"I wonder if they travelled by floo." Harry said, getting up as he had spotted the top of the floo powder pot wasn't on the pot properly.
"What difference does that make?" Ron asked.
"One of the articles I read on the plane was talking about a new system recently introduced to the floo network. If there's a lot of people all going to the same place instead of everyone calling out the destination, only the first person has to. Everyone who uses the floo network after that just has to throw the powder down and it'll take them to the same location. That works until someone shouts out a new destination." Harry explained the article to Ron, hoping he had understood it correctly.
"So if they used floo powder we should be able to work out where they are?" Ron asked, getting up and joining Harry at the fireplace.
"If what I read was right." Harry nodded. "Do you want to try it?"
"What if it doesn't work?" Ron asked hesitantly.
"We don't go anywhere and we just look like idiots standing in the fire." Harry shrugged.
"I suppose it's worth a try." Ron shrugged, grabbing a handful of floo powder. "I'll let you go first, since it was your idea."
"Thanks." Harry muttered, grabbing some floo powder and stepping into the flames as he threw it to the ground.
When Harry disappeared without having to speak Ron quickly followed his friend into the emerald flames. A few seconds later Harry and Ron emerged from a fire into a small room. The room looked expensively decorated even though the only pieces of furniture were two dark leather armchairs.
It took Harry and Ron a minute to realise they weren't alone in the room, standing in the doorway watching them curiously were two men. The men were dressed in expensive looking black dress robes and they both looked vaguely familiar to Harry and Ron.
"Well, this is a surprise." The dark haired man spoke in an amused voice.
"Here for the wedding are you?" The other man asked.
"Wedding?" Ron squeaked, embarrassed that he and Harry had crashed a wedding. "Sorry we didn't mean to disturb you, we were just looking for my family."
"Your family's all here." The dark haired wizard told Ron.
Ron was about to ask whose wedding they had crashed when Harry suddenly spoke as he realised who the two men were. "Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott." He cried excitedly.
"Aw look, Potter remembered us." Theo mocked.
"Took him long enough." Blaise grumbled. He'd been watching Harry since they had started talking and was waiting for the Gryffindor to recognise him and Theo.
"Why is my family at your wedding?" Ron asked.
"It isn't our wedding." Theo laughed. "Blaise really isn't my type."
"We're with the groom." Blaise said. "We're his best men."
"Two best men? Who the hell has two best men?" Ron muttered.
Theo and Blaise exchanged a smirk and ignored Ron's question. They now knew that Harry and Ron had no idea whose wedding they had gate-crashed and both Slytherins could see the potential for a bit of fun.
"The wedding's going to start in a few minutes, we can sneak you in the back." Blaise said.
"Yeah, you can catch up with your family at the reception." Theo added.
Harry and Ron looked at each other, they were clearly at a Slytherin wedding but both were curious as to why Ron's family was in attendance.
"Sure." Harry said eventually.
"Come on." Theo said, leading the way out of the small room and heading for a doorway across the hall.
Theo and Blaise led Harry and Ron through a side door into a large ballroom that was set up to host a wedding ceremony. The room was packed but at the minute neither Harry or Ron could see who was standing at the top of the aisle waiting to be married. Theo and Blaise settled Harry and Ron into seats at the back before making their way towards the front of the room.
Harry and Ron started scanning the guests, looking for the redhead's of Ron's family. Harry was the first to spot them, they were sitting near to the front on the same side of the aisle he and Ron were sitting. Molly and Arthur were sitting next to a brunette woman who Molly was talking to, behind them sat Bill, Fleur and Charlie. In the next row back sat George and Percy, each with a woman sitting next to them, George was sitting with his arm around a dark woman with long black hair while Percy was sitting with a brunette woman.
"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked in a whisper, looking at his family for the third time and yet again failing to see his sister.
"I don't know." Harry whispered back. He was going to say more but his attention was suddenly distracted by movement at the front of the room. "Ron, look at that." He gently prodded his friend and pointed out what he had seen.
Ron's mouth fell open as he saw what Harry had noticed. Blaise and Theo were at the front of the room, but they weren't alone. Standing with them dressed in black dress robes was a nervous looking Draco Malfoy.
"Why is my family at Malfoy's wedding?" Ron whispered. He may not like the blond man but he wasn't going to ruin his wedding by shouting.
"I don't know." Harry said.
"Bloody hell!" Ron moaned softly as a thought occurred to him. "You don't think he's marrying Ginny do you?"
Harry and Ron shared a horrified look at the idea. While Harry had already decided that if Ginny had moved on he would leave her alone and be happy for her but the thought of her marrying Malfoy was a disturbing one. Ron meanwhile was contemplating the horrors of having Malfoy as a brother-in-law, if he was marrying Ginny that meant he would be present at all family occasions and Ron wasn't sure he could cope with seeing that much of the blond man.
Harry and Ron were still reeling from the idea of Ginny marrying the enemy when hush descended on the crowds, the wedding was about to begin. Dreading what they were about to witness neither Harry or Ron really paid attention when the first bridesmaid started to walk down the aisle. It was only when she was nearly at the front of the aisle that they both noticed the way Blaise was smiling at her, clearly it was his girlfriend. It was only when she took her position at the front of the room that Harry and Ron recognised her as Pansy Parkinson.
Harry and Ron were so amazed that the good looking bridesmaid was Pansy that they missed the entrance of the second bridesmaid. It was only when Ron caught a glimpse of red hair out of the corner of his eye that the two men turned their attention back towards the wedding. Both were extremely relived to see Ginny walking down the aisle as a bridesmaid.
"Thank god, I thought I was about to be related to the ferret." Ron muttered to Harry.
"That would have been bad." Harry said.
Both men were so busy whispering that they failed to witness the smile that Ginny exchanged with Theo before she took her place next to Pansy. They were also so caught up in the fact that Ginny wasn't the bride that they actually missed the entrance of the real bride and her father. It wasn't until they heard oohing and aahing from the women in the crowd that they realised the bride had already passed them.
By the time Harry and Ron realised the bride was in the room all they could see of her was her back. She had brunette hair that cascaded down her back in soft curls and what looked like hundreds of diamonds were woven through her hair so it shimmered as she moved. Her white dress moved around her like silk and from the back both Harry and Ron thought she looked stunning.
Clearly the bride also looked stunning from the front as Harry and Ron noticed the way in which Malfoy was watching his bride approach him. For someone who normally never revealed his emotions on his face the groom was pretty easy to read, it was obvious he loved the woman walking towards him and was in awe of how she looked.
Harry and Ron were still unsure of the identity of the bride as they watched her reach the aisle. They still hadn't figured out why she would have both Pansy and Ginny as bridesmaids or why the rest of the Weasley's were in attendance. When the bride reached the top of the aisle and her father handed her over to her future husband Harry and Ron tried to get a look at her but she didn't turn around enough.
However the minute her father turned to walk back to his seat Harry and Ron knew who the bride was. As the bride's father took his place next to his wife, who was the woman sitting next to Molly, Harry and Ron spotted a couple of smirking Slytherins at the front of the room. Theo and Blaise clearly found it amusing the way they had discovered the identity of the bride but there was also a hint of warning in their eyes. Harry and Ron instinctively knew that if they caused trouble there would be hell to pay.
Turning their attention away from the two Slytherins, Harry and Ron focused on the bride and groom who were waiting for the ceremony to start. They still hadn't seen the face of the bride but seeing her father had revealed her identity and the start of the ceremony only confirmed their theory.
"Welcome." The wizard conducting the ceremony stepped up towards the bride and groom and began speaking. "We are here today to celebrate the union of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."
Harry and Ron shared a look at hearing Hermione's name mentioned, obviously they knew it was her marrying Malfoy as soon as they saw her father but it was still odd to hear her name. What was even odder was watching her marry the man that had once tormented her when they were children. Hearing the vows being exchanged was extremely painful to Ron as it was very obvious that they were both deeply in love with each other and meant every word they said.
Throughout the ceremony Harry and Ron were aware that Theo and Blaise were keeping an eye on them in case they caused trouble, not that it was really necessary. While Harry and Ron might have been extremely shocked and even slightly hurt that Hermione was marrying Malfoy they would never dream of ruining her wedding, despite everything she was still their best friend and all they really wanted was for her to be happy.
At the end of the ceremony when Hermione and Draco kissed both Harry and Ron had to avert their eyes. The kiss wasn't a brief peck, it was a full on passion filled affair and neither of the men were comfortable with watching Hermione kiss the man who had once been their school enemy.
As the wedding ended and people started leaving the room Harry and Ron hung back slightly, luckily no-one spotted them as the room slowly emptied. Once they were alone Harry and Ron wondered what to do next, they didn't know where the reception was being held, or even if they'd be welcome. Before they had a chance to leave however Theo and Blaise reappeared in the room.
"Are you coming to the reception?" Theo asked.
"Would we be welcome?" Harry inquired, he didn't want to ruin Hermione's wedding.
"As long as you're not intending to cause trouble, then yes, you'll definitely be welcome." Blaise said. "Hermione would love to see you two, it would be a great wedding present."
"And the rest of your family would also love to see you, they've missed you." Theo added.
"How would you know that?" Ron asked, eyeing the former Slytherin suspiciously.
"In case you haven't noticed, Weasley, things have changed since you've been gone." Blaise said. "School rivalries are in the past. We've all grown up and learned to get along."
"So are you coming?" Theo asked, heading for the door. "I'm sure you'd have time to see your family before Draco and Hermione arrive at the reception."
"I thought that's where they were going." Harry said as he and Ron followed the two Slytherins out of the ballroom and down a corridor.
"They had to go and sign all the official documentation." Theo explained.
"And then knowing them two they'll sneak off to consummate their marriage before the party." Blaise smirked, knowing he would make the two Gryffindors uncomfortable by mentioning their friends sex life.
Sure enough Harry and Ron shuddered at the mention of Hermione being with the blond Slytherin in a sexual way. Laughing at the uncomfortable pair behind them Theo and Blaise led the way into the hotel's gardens and into a large gazebo that was elegantly decorated. As Theo and Blaise led them to where the Weasley's were seated Harry and Ron looked around the guests, spotting several of their old school friends as they went.
"Ron! Harry!" The excited scream of Molly coincided with the four men arriving at the table where the Weasley family were seated.
Before Harry or Ron had a chance to speak Molly had jumped up and wrapped both men in a tight embrace.
"Mum, we can't breathe." Ron gasped after a few minutes.
"Sorry." Molly said, releasing both of them from her grip. "I just can't believe you're back."
After greeting Molly, Harry and Ron turned their attention to the rest of the family. They soon recognised the woman with George as Angelina Johnson and were introduced to Audrey, the woman who with Percy.
"You're not here to cause trouble are you?" Molly asked, suddenly looking sternly at both Harry and Ron.
"No." Harry smiled, reassuring Molly they were going to behave.
"Good. I would hate to think you would ruin the happiest day of Hermione's life." Molly said.
"We wouldn't do that." Ron said. "Even if she is married to Malfoy."
"That looked as though it came as a shock to you." Blaise laughed, remembering the stunned faces as the two Gryffindors as they realised whose wedding they were attending.
"Just a bit." Harry muttered.
"If you didn't know Hermione was getting married to Draco, then why are you here?" Molly asked.
"We'd gone to The Burrow and there was no-one there so we used the floo network to find you." Ron said, suddenly realising how much like stalkers it made him and Harry sound as he admitted how they had found the family.
"And it never occurred to you to wait until someone returned home or even to come back another day." George said. "Instead you decided to turn into stalkers and hunt us down. Then you decide to gate-crash a wedding. Classy."
Harry and Ron turned slightly red but before they had the chance to reply they were interrupted by Ginny arriving at the table. Ginny had clearly came to retrieve Theo and Blaise, who were supposed to be sitting with her and Pansy, but before she could speak to the two former Slytherins she spotted Harry and Ron.
"What are you two doing here?" She asked, a trace of bitterness in her voice.
"We've come home." Ron said.
"That's nice." Ginny smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Although you are three years too late."
"I'm sorry, Gin." Harry said quietly. "We should have been here sooner."
"Better late than never, I suppose." Ginny sighed.
"We are really sorry." Ron said, addressing his entire family. "We know we've been selfish but we're hoping you can forgive us."
"Of course we can, dear." Molly said, giving her son a reassuring smile. The rest of the family also told Harry and Ron they forgave them for staying away so long.
"Gin?" Harry turned to the only redhead who hadn't spoken.
"I forgive you, too." Ginny said. "Hermione's always saying you need to forget the past and concentrate on the present, making sure to be thankful for what you have."
"That sounds like Hermione." Ron smiled. He could just hear Hermione sprouting her words of wisdom.
"Yes, she usually speaks a lot of sense." Ginny said, making sure her next words were directed towards Harry. "I forgive you because even though you hurt me by not returning when you said you would, I've moved on. I've got a great life, I have a job that I love and that I'm very good at but most importantly I've got a boyfriend who loves me and would never hurt me the way you did."
Harry wasn't sure what to say to Ginny, he knew at the time that he would have hurt her but he was having so much fun that he had put it out of his head and hadn't really thought about it much. Now he was realising that he was pretty lucky that Ginny had forgiven him at all.
"Let's just forget about it and move on." Ginny said, sensing that Harry was struggling with how to respond. "You're both back and that's great."
"Thanks, Gin." Harry eventually managed to speak.
"Yeah, thanks." Ron agreed with Harry as he briefly hugged his little sister.
"We should get back to our table." Ginny said. "I'm sure Hermione and Draco will show up soon."
"You would think so, it is their wedding reception." Theo said, slipping his arm around Ginny's waist as they made their way back to their own table with Blaise.
"Ginny's with Nott?" Ron asked as the couple waked away.
"Yeah, they've been together just over a year." Arthur said. "Theo's a nice boy." He added, his tone clearly telling Ron that the family approved so he wasn't to interfere.
"Not sure I've ever heard Slytherins being referred to as nice." Ron muttered as him and Harry squeezed onto the table at Molly's insistence. "Next you'll be saying Malfoy is nice."
"Actually he is." Molly said and her husband, Fleur, Angelina and Audrey all nodded in agreement.
"Really?" Ron sceptically asked his brothers.
"Yeah, he is actually." Charlie agreed with their mother. "He's a good laugh."
"He's a bit frosty at first but once you get to know him he's a decent bloke." George added as Bill and Percy also gave their seal of approval of the blond Slytherin.
Harry and Ron were quite surprised that the whole family seemed to approve of Malfoy. They'd already worked out that he must have changed quite a bit if Hermione had married him but they still hadn't expected all of the family to be such huge fans of the blond man.
The Weasley's were still busy singing Malfoy's praises when Blaise suddenly hushed the room and stood up. Harry and Ron were unsure of what the Slytherin was doing until he announced the entrance of the bride and groom. As most of the room clapped and cheered Ron and Harry stayed quiet as they observed the couple making their way to their table.
Neither Harry or Ron had ever seen Hermione look so radiant. Despite the beautiful dress she was wearing that made her look like a princess both men knew it was the man at her side that was the reason she looked so happy and content.
Once Hermione and Draco had settled down at the top table with their family and the rest of the wedding party the meal was served. Sitting at the crowded Weasley table Harry and Ron went unnoticed throughout the meal, although both men kept an eye on Hermione in case she spotted them. Hermione however only seemed to have eyes for her new husband and only occasionally spoke to the other people at the table.
After the meal the speeches took place. As best men both Theo and Blaise gave a speech, Blaise's speech was full of funny stories and embarrassing antidotes about the couple while Theo's was short and concentrated on how perfect Hermione and Draco were for each other. Hermione's father's speech was extremely emotional, it reduced the bride and most other women to tears while even a few of the men had lumps in their throat as Mr Granger spoke about how proud he was of his daughter and how much he loved her.
After the speeches it was time for the bride and groom's first dance. Harry and Ron watched the couple effortlessly glide around the dance floor as their family started to disperse into the crowds as the party got going.
"I hate to say it, but they look good together." Harry sighed, watching his friend and her new husband.
"They do." Ron agreed. "She looks really happy doesn't she." He commented as Hermione smiled radiantly at her husband before the couple made their way off the dance floor.
"Yes she does." Harry said. "Should we go and speak to her?"
"Yeah, come one." Ron stood up and together he and Harry started to walk over to where Hermione and Draco were sitting talking. "Do you think we have to be friends with Malfoy now?" He asked Harry as they neared the newlyweds.
"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "He is Hermione's husband so I guess we're going to have to get used to him."
"You know, Harry, this was not what I was expecting today to be like." Ron said as he and Harry stopped metres away from the top table.
"Me either. I didn't really expect to be gate-crashing Hermione's wedding, but I'm glad we did." Harry said.
"So am I." Ron said, causing Harry to look at him in surprise. Harry knew that Ron had still been harbouring hopes of reuniting with Hermione, much like he had been with Ginny. "I know what you're thinking, Harry. When we came back I was still hoping to have a chance with Hermione and I admit it was actually quite painful to watch her marry Malfoy, but she's clearly very happy. Seeing her that happy is something I would have hated to miss."
Harry nodded, pleased that Ron was mature enough to be happy for Hermione despite any lingering feelings he still had for her.
"Come on, let's go and congratulate the happy couple." Ron said, taking a deep breath before he began to approach Hermione.
OOO
Hermione smiled as she watched the guests enjoying her wedding reception. While her eyes may have been roaming over the assembled guests Hermione's attention was actually focused on her the man sitting beside her. Hermione and Draco appeared to be talking quietly but Draco was actually in the process of tormenting his new wife.
From the moment they had taken to the dance floor for the first dance as a married couple Draco had been whispering to Hermione what he planned on doing with her that night. Draco's torment continued even after they were sitting down and Hermione was beginning to get frustrated. The reception hadn't been going long and Hermione knew it would be hours before they could leave, yet she had her husband talking dirty in her ear getting her all hot and bothered.
As Draco continued to whisper in her ear Hermione began wishing she had picked a different wedding dress. Earlier after the couple had signed all the paperwork making their marriage official Draco had suggested a detour to consummate their marriage before the reception. Hermione had been very tempted but the elaborate style of her dress meant it would be impossible unless she removed the garment entirely, which was something they didn't have time to do.
Draco was still happily tormenting his wife when someone cleared their throats behind the couple. Hermione and Draco both jumped slightly at the sound as they turned to see who had disturbed them. At the sight of Harry and Ron standing behind them Hermione squealed in excitement as she quickly stood up and hugged both men tightly.
"I can't believe you're here." Hermione exclaimed, taking a good look at her friends.
"We weren't going to miss your wedding, Hermione." Harry smiled.
"Not that we knew it was your wedding today." Ron added.
"How are you here if you didn't know I was getting married?" Hermione asked puzzled.
When she had spotted her friends Hermione had assumed they had read about her wedding in the press. Hermione had wanted to tell her friends about her relationship with Draco personally so over the last few months she had written several owls to Harry and Ron asking them to return home so she could speak with them. Unfortunately all the owls returned with the letters unopened, Hermione had assumed the boys were moving around so much the owls couldn't find them.
"That's a long story." Ron sighed.
"Why don't you sit down and tell us about it." Hermione suggested, eager to find out how her friends came to be at her wedding despite not knowing it was happening.
"We will, but there's something we have to do first." Harry said before turning to face Draco. "Congratulations." Harry held his hand out to the blond as he spoke.
"Thanks, Potter." Draco said, taking Harry's hand and firmly shaking it.
"Congratulations, I hope you're very happy together." Ron said, offering his hand to Draco once he had finished with Harry.
"Thank you, Weasley." Draco shook Ron's hand, surprised that both of Hermione's friends had accepted their union without a fuss.
Hermione had also watched the entire exchange in shock. She really hadn't been sure how Harry and especially Ron would take the news of her relationship with Draco but she hadn't expected either of them to be so calm and collected. Clearly their time spent travelling had matured them somewhat.
"So you were going to explain how you're at a wedding you didn't even know was taking place." Hermione said, offering Harry and Ron seats around the table.
Harry and Ron sat down as they began telling Hermione and Draco how they ended up accidently attending their wedding.
"That is quite possibly one of the oddest things I've ever heard." Draco said when the two former Gryffindors had finished talking. "Who in their right minds attends a wedding if they don't know who's getting married?"
"We were curious." Ron shrugged. "Since Nott and Zabini were the best men we figured it was a Slytherin wedding so we were really curious as to why my entire family would be in attendance."
"I bet you got a surprise when you realised who was getting married." Draco chuckled, wishing he had seen the faces of the two men as they realised they were witnessing his wedding to their best friend.
"Surprise would be an understatement." Harry muttered. "Although I suppose if we'd read that article on the plane we would have known about you two."
"What article?" Hermione asked.
"On the plane home we had a bunch of English papers and magazines that we read to catch up on current events." Harry explained. "There was an article in Witch Weekly that Ron and I decided to skip."
"That was a good article." Draco said with a smirk. "Very accurate."
"You're a conceited git." Hermione rolled her eyes at Draco. "You only liked that article because they rambled on for three pages about how amazing and sexy you are."
"As I said, very accurate." Draco grinned at Hermione who couldn't help but smile back at her new husband.
Harry and Ron had watched the teasing banter with interest, they had never seen Draco so at ease with anyone as he was with Hermione. They had also never seen Hermione so carefree, normally she was quite serious.
"How long have you two been together?" Ron suddenly asked. He was wondering if they had gotten together before he was originally due home the first time or if their relationship had developed sometime after.
"Nearly three years." Hermione replied.
"Although we would have been together a lot sooner if someone wasn't so stubborn." Draco gave Hermione a pointed look.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"Draco and I became friends when we went back to school." Hermione said. "There was an attraction between us but I refused to act on it until I'd spoken to you."
"You were waiting for me to return?" Ron asked and Hermione nodded. "What were you going to say?"
"I'm not sure exactly, although I do know we never would have gotten together. I decided that my feelings for you obviously weren't strong enough if I managed to fall for Draco in your absence." Hermione said. "And your feelings for me obviously weren't strong enough either, since you didn't return home."
"I'm sorry, Hermione." Ron said, wondering if Hermione was right. Maybe he had stayed away to avoid dealing with Hermione and facing up to the fact his feelings for her weren't strong enough to sustain a relationship.
"It's okay." Hermione smiled at Ron. "I was hurt and disappointed that you didn't return home when you said you would, but I got over it."
"We are sorry, Hermione." Harry said. "Although hopefully we're still friends."
"Of course we are." Hermione tutted at the suggestion that their friendship was over, the three of them had been far too much to throw their friendship away over a few years of no contact. "Although I do expect you both to make it up to me, and you both have to promise to never go away for so long without keeping in touch."
"We promise." Harry and Ron said in unison.
"Now that's all sorted, I hope you don't mind if I take my wife back onto the dance floor." Draco said, standing up and offering his hand to Hermione.
Hermione took Draco's hand and let her husband help her up off her seat. Before he had a chance to lead her onto the dance floor however Hermione broke the hold and walked over to her friends, giving them both a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Thank you both for being here, it's the best wedding present ever." Hermione beamed at her friends before making her way back to her husband.
Hermione smiled at her friends one final time before she headed back onto the dance floor with Draco. As her husband spun her expertly around the floor Hermione kept an eye on Harry and Ron, pleased to see they both seemed to be enjoying themselves. As the two men happily chatted with friends and family Hermione noticed that Harry occasionally stared longingly after Ginny but on a whole they seemed content.
"I take it you're pleased they're back." Draco said as the couple continued to dance.
"I am, they're my best friends and I've missed them." Hermione said.
"I'm pleased that seeing Potter and Weasley has made your day." Draco said.
"Seeing Harry and Ron hasn't made my day, it's just an added bonus." Hermione said, suddenly stopping dancing so she could speak to Draco properly. "Marrying you was what made my day so special."
Draco smiled at Hermione before bending his head and kissing her softly. Hermione wrapped her arms securely around Draco's neck as she deepened their kiss. Draco eagerly responded and within minutes the couple were locked in a passionate embrace right in the centre of the dance floor.
Their kiss soon drew attention and before long the wolf whistles and cheering of their friends could be heard around the gazebo. Harry and Ron were initially disturbed by the sight but after George pointed out that it was something they would have to get used to they joined in the cheering.
Ignoring the noise surrounding them Draco and Hermione continued to kiss passionately, already enjoying married life.
The End.