Hi, here is Chapter 2, let me know what you think.
Sirius xoxo
Maid of Honour
Chapter 2
The rest of the rehearsal went by quickly, probably because I kept telling the Professor to hurry up as we had somewhere else to be.
We said our goodbyes and apparated over to the reception. As we sat waiting for the wedding planner to arrive, Harry broke the silence.
"Umm, Hermione are you ok?" I looked at him and he was looking down at his feet, fidgeting with his fingers. I decided ignorance was the best angle to take here.
"Yeah Harry, why do you ask?" I kept it light and tried very hard to look away. Where was that stupid wedding planner?
"I don't know, you just seem really quiet, I was hoping you weren't upset with me?" Thank Merlin for small miracles, Helena walked in.
"Good afternoon Mr Potter and Miss Weas..... oh sorry Hermione, I thought Miss Weasley would have been here?"
"That's OK Helena, Ginny was busy so your stuck with me, again, sorry about that."
Harry and Helena both answered at the same time, "That's OK."
"Hermione, you're wonderful, any wedding planner would be happy to have someone who is so nice and polite, I could never be stuck with you. I'm sure Harry agrees, and Ginny should be so lucky she has such a wonderful friend."
I smiled and then followed Helena out to the main ballroom. Today we were choosing colours and the theme, well actually Harry would be choosing it. I just decided that I am staying out of this part. Ginny and I are like chalk and cheese when it comes to colours and designs.
She should be here, not me.
After an hour of struggling through all the colours and then deciding on themes, Harry was visibly stressed and it was entirely my fault. I had had enough, this was completely stupid, Ginny should be here choosing colours and invitations and serviettes, I mean who gives a damm about the bloody colour of the tissue you wipe your mouth with.
"Harry, do you want a break, we can get some lunch?" I asked in a sweet voice, I knew he was angry.
"No Hermione, I don't want lunch, I WANT to finish this ridiculous thing and you're being no help at all."
Helena walked away when Harry snapped at me saying she would get us a drink.
"Well the last time I checked, it wasn't my wedding, it was yours!" I snapped back at him.
"You're supposed to be the maid of honour, you're supposed to be helping me!" Harry growled at me.
"Yeah the maid of honour not the slave of honour Harry, where is your fiancé anyway?" The next words out of Harry's mouth shocked me.
"Probably meeting up with her latest beau for all I know!" I didn't know what to say but when I regained control of my mouth I was angry.
"What did you say...?"
"...how dare you Harry Potter, how dare you?, Ginny is my best friend and your fiancé, how could you say something like that?" I was panting and very red when I finished.
Harry ran his hands through his hair and leant back on his seat. I had listened to enough of this, I stood up to leave.
I grabbed my bag and then I felt Harry's hand on my wrist. I turned to look at him and if looks could kill he would be dead and buried right where he sat. His face softened and his hand slipped down slowly into my hand and he entwined his fingers into mine. If I wasn't so angry it would have been a very intimate moment. Harry stood up and very slowly, probably cautiously, pulled me in to hug me. At first I didn't react but then I gave in. He turned me so I was facing him and he leant in his head down on my head. He whispered sorry and I patted his back. After a few more seconds he pulled back and ran his hands through his hair again.
"Mione, I'm sorry it's just really stressful and I have a hundred things going through my head. I don't even know if I am doing the right thing anymore." I was surprised he was being so open.
"Harry, I understand but you don't need to worry, Ginny loves you so much she tells me all the time...." and it was at that moment that I realised that I couldn't recall a time when Ginny ever spoke about Harry in that sense. It was always where they went and who they saw or what important people she ran into. It was never about the special moments or the love they shared, only the social activities.
"Yeah you see it too don't you Mione?" Harry just stared at me and lifted his hand to brush the side of my cheek. He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the reception room and all I could do was watch him leave.
My head was about to explode and I couldn't understand why. I started to doubt my best friend, I started to doubt her love for Harry, I started to doubt Harry's love for her but most of all, and the most scariest of all, I doubted my feelings for Harry could be restrained. I was shaken out of my deep thoughts by Helena's return.
"Where's Harry?" I looked at her and put my bag down.
"Let's get this finished shall we?" It took me half an hour to choose the rest of the materials for the wedding theme and then I left. I looked at my watch and saw that I had two hours before I had to be at the cake tasting. I didn't feel like going home, plus I needed to find Harry before I went to Madame Cristina's Creative Cakes. There was no way I was going to choose 'their' wedding cake.
I realised I was hungry since the last time I ate was over 7 hours ago, so I apparated back to Hogsmeade as the cake shop was there. I found a small cafe and sat down to my toasted sandwich and a strong coffee.
So much had happened today that I needed to get my head around but I think the most important thing right now was to have a long heart to heart with my friend when she got back. I hoped Harry would meet me at the cake shop but for some reason I doubted it.
I wandered around for a while, not really looking or thinking, just wandering aimlessly. I walked into the cake shop and to say that Cristina was shocked to see the maid of honour with no bride or groom was an understatement. I reassured her as best as I could but she seemed annoyed, like I was wasting her time.
"OK Miss Granger take a look through the display models and select the ones you like. Then walk over to the large display cabinet and choose your colours, the cabinet will make an exact replica of the cake you choose. After you do this I will take you for the cake testing. Is all of that clear Miss Granger?" Such a bitch
"Yes thank you I am sure I can manage." I smiled a tight smile at her and left. I walked over to the display room and it was enormous. There must have been over a hundred cakes on display everything from small square cakes with delicate flowers to an enormous 8 tiered cake that was very colourful. Oh well I had a long afternoon ahead of me, I had better get started.
It was difficult at first, the smaller elegant cakes really appealed to me, but I wasn't buying for me was I? I walked past the lovely ones, quite a few catching my eye as I passed by. After an hour of looking I had chosen six cakes, well five for Ginny's wedding and one for me. I walked over to the cabinet so I could change the colours and personalise the cake before ordering it. I checked my phone in case Harry left me a message, but no.
I approached the cabinet and read the instructions. I had to put the cake code into the cabinet and then tell it what colours I wanted and decorations. It sounded pretty easy. The first cake I tried was the three tier cake that layered off centre. It was quirky and different, I was sure Ginny would like it actually. Once I finished with the decorations I was quite happy with the final product. I managed to bring my choices of cakes down to three.
They were all different but nice. I looked at my last choice of cake and it was the one I had chosen for myself. I looked around to see if anyone would see what I was doing but there were only two other couples choosing cakes on the other side of the room. I put the cake number into the cabinet and up floated a display of my cake. It was beautiful even though it was plain. It had two layers, both square. The top layer was much smaller than the bottom and it was sitting on the bottom layer on an angle so it looked like a diamond on top of a square. I added a spray of lilies and white roses from the top layer down the side to the bottom layer. I played with the cake for a while, adding a light coffee coloured ribbon around the squares and then I thought the final touch would be initials in the bottom square on the corner opposite to the flower spray. I debated whether I should write H & H and decided it could do no harm. Nobody would see it anyway. I sketched it and immediately fell in love with it. I gazed at my cake and couldn't believe how stunning it looked. I wanted to commit it to memory and hopefully one day I could use it. I knew I would have to change the initials but the cake was perfect, I loved it beyond belief.
"I would take the flowers down to trail along the base of the cakes and on to the table." Harry's voice came from behind me.