Chapter Six: A Very Stressful Wedding Rehearsal
It was at the Parkinson Manor garden, facing the wrath of Pansy Parkinson that the group found themselves the following Saturday. The witch was pacing frantically, a scowl permanently etched on her face. Her fiancé tried to placate her but was continually getting snapped at for his efforts. Finally, she ground out through clenched teeth.
"Can somebody please explain to me what happened here?"
Harry and Pansy's wedding were in a week's time and today was the final wedding rehearsal. Everything had been going splendidly. Except one bridesmaid and one groomsman have been avoiding each other like crazy throughout the practice, and when time came for them to walk down the aisle together, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.
Nobody answered the livid witch's inquiry. "Weaselette!" She spat angrily, reverting to childhood insults, showing how upset she really is. "You assured me that everything was fine!"
Nobody knew why, but according to Harry, Draco and Hermione have been maintaining this type of atmosphere since they went to work last Monday. As smooth as their last plan had sailed, it apparently didn't work.
One particularly unsatisfying run later, Pansy had had enough and called for a break. Hermione quickly blurted out excuses about getting food and hurried off inside the manor. Draco silently stalked away to the farther parts of the vast garden, effectively leaving the schemers to themselves.
Ginny flared up instantly. She did not appreciate being called a Weaselette in that derogatory tone that was reminiscent of her Hogwarts days when Slytherin and Gryffindor were still enemies. "Bloody hell, Parkinson! How am I supposed to know? Are you implying that I am to blame for this?" She replied indignantly.
"Well, if the shoe fits." Said a haughty Pansy.
"Oh, you! You self-righteous slag! How dare you put the blame on me! You thought getting them drunk was a splendid idea as well!"
Pansy snorted. "I should have known better than trust a Weasley and their insipid plans."
"Enough of that, Pansy." Harry said in a low tone, effectively cutting off Ginny's reply. Pansy looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, Potter? Going to your ex-girlfriend's aid?" She sneered. "Why don't you just go off and marry her instead, then? Oh, I forgot. She broke up with you and hooked up with Zabini instead. Can't say I blame her. Blaise is much richer, sexier, and more handsome than you'd ever be!" With that, Pansy stalked off angrily leaving her bewildered fiancé behind.
Everyone stared at Pansy's retreating form. Silence reigned among the group for a good ten minutes, not knowing what to say.
"She didn't mean it, Harry." Blaise said carefully as the other man slumped miserably on one of the garden chairs. Harry offered him a tentative smile.
"I know, Blaise. I just don't want to fight with her this close to our wedding."
"This is all Draco and Hermione's fault." George pouted. "I thought everything had already gone well. They went home together on our last night-out and I'm willing to bet my galleons that they didn't spend the night together playing Exploding Snap."
"They were terribly awkward at work this week, I'm betting that even though they slept together, they still managed to mess it up." Blaise groaned.
"We have to fix this, Harry." Astoria said quietly, upset at her friend's misery.
"I know, Astoria. But I have no idea how."
"Follow her, mate." Ron urged, pertaining to Pansy. "Try talking some sense into her."
"No." Ginny countered. "I know Pansy. It's best to let her head cool first."
"Did Hermione tell you anything, Ron?" Harry asked to which the red head replied with a shake of his head.
"She didn't tell me anything either." Harry groaned in frustration. "You'd think running around fighting a psychopath Dark Wizard for seven years would warrant us knowing about each other's lives, but no, she refuses to say anything."
"Anything from Draco's end?" Fred asked hopefully.
Blaise scoffed. "That boy is more defensive about his secrets than Snape and McGonagall with their night time trysts."
All eyes where on the BlaiseZabini, disbelievingly. He only looked at them like they were out of their minds.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? Didn't you know?"
"How can you ask that like what you just said is common knowledge?" George said, wide-eyed.
"You mean it isn't? Oh, Merlin, this is delicious. I could use it as leverage to get those rare potions ingredients from Severus! Don't tell him!"
"It's not like we make it a point to catch up with our old professors over a cup of tea, Blaise." Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. "How you even managed to know about this, I have no idea."
"Oh, that's easy enough! I was doing prefect patrols in seventh year, and I saw them going at it on top of Madam Pince's desk. Snape had his hand under McGonagall's robes and- "
"Bloody hell, Blaise! Nobody wants to here about that!" Heads were turned at the voice that resounded from behind them.
DracoMalfoy approached the group, shaking his head with a disgusted expression on his face.
"Really, Blaise," Draco continued, "I think I speak for everyone when I say we don't fancy hearing about McGonagall and Snape shagging inside the library."
As accurate as Draco's statement was at the misgivings of his friends over their ex-professors' love affairs, nobody really heard what he just said. Everybody was looking at the girl who was standing beside him. Or more accurately, at the way their hands intertwined with each other.
Hermione Granger stood beside the pale boy with a content smile on her face. Everyone looked at them, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.
It was Harry who recovered first. "Hermione, you're holding his hand!" He blurted out.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Very astute, Potter. How fitting for the Head Auror."
"Congratulations, Malfoy." Blaise said smoothly, as if this was exactly what he expected. Never mind that he was also openly gaping at the pair a moment ago.
"So are the two of you going out now?" Fred grinned.
"Yes." Hermione said as her smile widened. "And I know it might come as a bit of a shock since our track record in getting along is anything but stellar. Anyway, it's not like your approval would change our decision, but I'm really hoping you would support us in this."
"You're thinking we wouldn't support you?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Well, I'm hoping you would."
"Are you kidding?" Ron exclaimed. "After all we did?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean after all you did?"
"He means after all the things he, Harry, and you did together, why wouldn't they support you?" Pansy interjected smoothly as her arms snaked around her fiancé's body, suddenly returning to the scene.
"Oh," Hermione said, placated. "Thank you." She said with a genuine smile and threw her arms around Ron. Draco rolled his eyes and slapped the redhead at the back good-naturedly as a sign of appreciation.
"Nice save, Parkinson." Harry whispered as he looked on at the tender moment between his friends.
"Miss me, Potter?"
"Definitely. Ready to go back to the wedding rehearsals?"
Pansy smirked. "Maybe later. How about the two of us rehearse the thing that happens after the wedding instead?"
Harry was truly happy they were back on speaking terms.
A/N: The next chapter would be the last one unless I get enough inspiration to write an epilogue. =))