Chapter 8.
Hey guys! For the scene of Draco and Hermione's dance, I strongly recommend this song, as it's the one I was listening to whilst writing it.
No Clear Mind - Dream is Destiny
A cool breeze was rustling the leaves in the old willow tree near the Burrow. It was extremely welcome, as it was a scorching day of 31st July. The place was vibrating with anticipation for the grand event that was about to take place: Harry Potter's and Ginerva Weasley's wedding. Children were running around in the degnomed, tidy garden; several miniature golden snitches had been bewitched to fly around lazily, while Crookshanks was desperately trying to catch them; the magic fountain in front of the tent gleamed stunningly in the sun's rays, the water erupting from the wands sending cool waves through the garden and marquee; Fawkes stood on a golden pedestal, singing a tender, beautifully stirring song, as all the guests listened in bewilderment. It was not every day that you saw a Phoenix singing at a wedding. But this was no everyday wedding.
Hermione was in one of the many Burrow's bedrooms, admiring her friend's reflection in the mirror. The redhead looked truly astonishing. Her fiery hair was knotted in an elegant, elaborate braid, tangled with golden ribbons at the base of her neck. Her makeup was minimal, with black mascara for her usually almost transparent eyelashes that now stood out more, and a rosy lipstick for her lips. The dress (much to Mrs Weasley's dismay) was a modern one, from a muggle fashion designer. It was an ivory tulle, Ariel style wedding gown covered in mesmerizing details -pearls and lace forming various shapes on its surface. The corset was bound with red lace that followed her cleavage and shoulders to the back, where it enclosed with tiny, golden, snitch-shaped buttons (Hermione herself has charmed them to look so). Ginny didn't wear any jewellery except Aunt Muriel's tiara that every Weasley or future Weasley bride was bound to wear. Her bouquet consisted of six red roses and six white peonies (representing the number of times Harry had defeated Voldemort) with a few stray gold cherry blossoms.
"Ginny, you look simply stunning. But you ought to watch out for Nargles with that bouquet." Luna, who was wearing a simple red gown, said. Hermione threw her a wry smile while adjusting Ginny's tiara.
Ginny shifted uncomfortably, adjusting her corset. "Not now, Luna, please. I'm nervous enough as it is." Ginny complained.
"I'm sorry, Ginny. Don't be nervous, I'm sure everything will be fine."
"Come on, I think it's time we head out. Are you okay?" she asked.
Ginny swallowed and nodded, emotion visible on every feature of her face.
The three girls exited the bedroom and climbed down the many floors of the Burrow. The garden was deserted as Hermione Ginny and Luna walked through it, their gowns making oddly pleasant sounds as they grazed the grass's surface.
As they were preparing to march in, all the guests were already seated in the marquee; the band was playing a bridal march as Luna entered the tent and walked down the long, red carpet with the usual serene smile on her face. Hermione trailed closely behind her, looking at the golden wedding arch in front of her. Harry was sitting under it, looking handsome in his black and burgundy formal robes. He seemed uneasy, but extremely happy, smiling at her as she had to refrain from letting out a sob.
Next to him was Ron, who looked troubled and tired, but happy nonetheless. Hagrid was to his left, wearing a set of formal robes very different from anything Hermione had ever seen him wear. In front of all the gigantic marquee was a large painting with an old man in it, who wore long white hair and a matching beard. His amazing blue eyes were watery behind his half-moon spectacles, but his face contained an emotion she had never seen before on her Headmaster's face while he was alive. Albus Dumbledore would be performing the ceremony from his Hogwarts painting, as Harry had firmly insisted on it.
Hermione took a deep breath, smiled at her former Headmaster when she reached the arch and took her place to its right, near Luna. People were stirring in their places and gasping as Ginny entered the tent at Arthur Weasley's arm. He had a proud look on his face while they marched, kissing his daughter as he gave her hand into Harry's. Molly was silently sobbing in her seat while Minerva McGonagall patted her gently on her back. Everyone went silent then, waiting for Dumbledore to speak.
"Words cannot express" he commenced, surveying the audience "what a great honour it is for me and my portrait to be standing here, in front of all these wonderful people today." He continued, emotion visible on every wrinkle of his face.
"I understand the choice for the officiant was between myself and the Minister, so it pleases me beyond measure that I was favoured to him, even dead." Dumbledore said with a small smile on his wise face. Everyone laughed, Kingsley included.
"For that, I want to thank you, Harry." He said, nodding in his direction. Harry smiled back at his former Headmaster and mentor, then looked back at Ginny, his face full of love and expectation.
"We are gathered here on this symbolic day to celebrate the union of two superb, faithful souls – Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley- as they wish to spend the rest of their lives cherishing and respecting one another." Dumbledore said, solemnly."Do you, Harry James Potter, take Ginevra Molly to be your magically wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poor, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
Harry inhaled deeply and responded: "I do." Dumbledore smiled brilliantly before he turned to Ginny.
"Do you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, take Harry James to be your magically wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poor, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
"Yes." Ginny responded, visibly stirred by that very moment.
"Then I declare you bonded for life. May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your faces, may the light of friendship guide your paths together, may the laughter of children grace the halls of your home. And, today, may the Spirit of Love find a dwelling place in your hearts." He concluded, citing an ancient Celtic poem.
A Ministry official then came and waved his wand over the heads of Harry and Ginny, a shower of golden stars falling upon them, making circles around their bodies. Everyone applauded and Fawkes started to sing another blissful, but almost heart wrenching song as the two newlyweds kissed.
After the ceremony, a golden dance floor was produced in the middle of the marquee, glasses of champagne were floating by themselves among the tables, and delicious-looking food appeared on the golden plates in front of every seat. Hermione was sitting at a table with Luna, Neville, George, Angelina Johnson, Ron, Dean and Draco.
Harry exchanged words with Dumbledore's portrait before returning to their table, as Ginny was talking to her Quidditch team colleagues. After the first course was served and finished, the guests began lightly clinking their glasses with their forks, awaiting a speech from the newlyweds. Harry rose from the table, put a Sonorous charm on his throat and said:
"I want to thank you all for being here, on this most amazingly happy day of my life." He looked at all of them, smiling. "You know, I won't say that what Ginny and I have started as love at first sight, because it hasn't. I'm sure that at first, she was only infatuated with the idea of The Boy Who Lived and who befriended her brother at Hogwarts. AS for me, I was just too busy saving the Wizarding world to notice her for the beautiful person she was. I only saw her as Ron's little, shy sister. Her feelings might have grown after the incident in the Chamber of Secrets , but that next year I was just too busy coping with the idea of having a Godfather who supposedly betrayed my parents and who was looking for me…" he said, his voice faltering momentarily and his eyes filling up with tears at the thought of his late Godfather. "You will always be remembered, Sirius." he said, raising his glass of wine, as all the other people in the tent followed his gesture and repeated. "You will always be remembered."
Harry regained his composure and continued.
"We then became friends but I just couldn't see that she was becoming a beautiful, fiery woman, right before my eyes. She later started dating other guys, guys who saw her for what she really was." He said, looking in Dean's direction with a friendly smile "And I think that's about when I realised she wasn't just like a sister to me, at all." Ginny was looking up at him with an amused face, probably curious about what else he was about to confess.
"Of course, there was also the nagging problem of her protective, bigger brother who just so happened to be my best friend. When that was no longer a problem, as Ron was too busy having his face washed off by Lavender." Harry said as everyone laughed, "Ginny and I finally got together, but, alas, in the most unfortunate moment possible: the beginning of the war. The rest is history, and I am sure you all know it well enough." He said, smiling again.
"I love you, Ginny; I love your drive and your passion, your intelligence, your family, your talent for Quidditch, your devotion…" he paused, leaning down and kissing his new wife. "I'm so happy I chose to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm thankful you were all here to witness it." He concluded looking at all the guests once more with an appreciative look before sitting down. Everybody applauded, some smiling, some sobbing.
The party continued with more food, wine, music, dancing and an overall air of celebration.
After the second course was served, Hermione started walking around the marquee greeting old Hogwarts colleagues and teachers, co-workers and former Order members. She had short chats with Hannah Abbott, who was now working at Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade, Ernie Macmillan, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender, who was "so devastated to hear about she and Ron" and Parvati; She was also very glad to see and talk to Aberforth, Hagrid, Kingsley (who accepted her and Draco's request of remaining investigators until they caught Dolohov), and McGonagall. She was then grabbed by the hand and onto the golden dance floor by Harry, who danced with her in a very brotherly manner. Cormac McLaggen had also tried he same trick, but to no avail.
When she returned at her table, Hermione noticed that only Dean and Ron were there. Ron was sipping from a glass full of Firewhiskey, his face sour. She took her place next to him without saying a word. Ron turned o her when she sat down, leaning his face in, extremely close to hers. His breath tasted like alcohol, and she detested it.
"You are so fucking hot in the dress, 'Mione." Ron said, stammering. "You're the hottest girl from this fucking room, tonight. At least for me." He continued.
"Thank you Ron, you look nice too." Hermione answered politely, not looking him in the eye, but busying herself with a braised asparagus.
"Nice? Nice, you say? See, that's the problem, 'Mione, I'm never good enough for you. You always need... more. I tried, but" he tried to say, "I dunno if I can give you more. But you and me, we can't be done…"
"You and I." she said.
"Sorry?" he asked, hiccupping.
"Never mind, Ron. But you're wrong. The problem is not that you are not good enough for me, it's that we aren't good or enough for each other." She said, rising from the table. Ron grabbed her by the arm painfully and set her down on her chair. "We aren't done 'ere." he said, baring his teeth.
She flinched, unclasping her arm from his hand. "Let go Ron, you're hurting me." He pulled her even harder and lost his balance, falling from the chair, on his back. Hermione gave him a disdainful look and headed to the marquee's exit, trying to withhold tears. She reached the statue only to find someone else looking at it with a fixed gaze.
Hermione stopped next to Draco, avoiding eye contact at first. She looked at Tonks, whose gaze was fixed adoringly upon the face of her husband, Lupin. It was already dark outside, only the tent's lights keeping the garden from being in complete obscurity. Neither said anything for a couple of minutes, until Draco spoke.
"He was brilliant." He said, his eyes on Dumbledore. "Most brilliant man I've ever known. I felt horrible when he died. I was…" he paused. "I can't even express how I felt when Voldemort gave me the mission to kill him." He continued, his face obviously contorted in pain. She had never seen him so emotional, so open about his feelings.
"My father hated him so much; you couldn't even understand that amount of hatred. I couldn't disagree, of course…" he said, running a hand through his hair.
"Draco…" Hermione started, but didn't know how to continue.
"Dance with me, Granger." He then said, turning to look into her eyes. There it was, again. The look in his eyes she couldn't comprehend, couldn't put her finger on. His pupils were dilated, his eyebrows slightly raised but furrowed. He looked…stunning, Hermione could now easily accept. She reached out her hand, which he took, and they both went into the marquee.
The song that was playing was a slow Blues/Jazz type muggle tune that started out slow, before quickly raising its intensity. Hermione loved it.
Draco took her right hand in his left and put his other on her waist, as she put hers on his well-defined shoulder. Draco's hand on her waist was so warm, Hermione's skin was burning underneath it. They were both slowly turning and balancing on the dance floor in a well synchronized rhythm. She never liked dancing much, but dancing with someone who knew what was doing was quite nice. She was afraid she would get sweaty hands from the feelings she was experiencing right then and there, slow dancing with Draco Malfoy. Their faces were slightly leaned in close to one another so she could feel the cool air from his breath tingle her eyes and nose, and Merlin, it smelled divine. She inhaled it silently, and she could feel his scent fill her and awaken every single nerve cell she possessed. Their breathing patterns accelerated, just as the song's rhythm did.
His hand around her waist massaged her lower back, and then pulled her body closer into to his, and she could now feel every fiber of him through his thin summer robes. It made Hermione's head spin and her heart beat at an amazingly fast pace. He smirked, his fleshy lips uncovering his perfect set of white teeth, and Hermione could swear she could feel hot liquid forming in her lower abdomen, pouring lower and lower into her belly, as she was dangerously close to having to tighten her legs shut. This wasn't possible, just a dance with him couldn't arouse her in a way Ron never did. It was all wrong. But oh, so divinely right.
She wanted to lean in closer, to probe his lips with hers, to see if he was just as enticed as she was. But she never did.
His grey eyes were fixed upon hers with an intensity she had never seen before. How his gaze could surprise her differently and arise such various feelings inside her, Hermione didn't know. They probably looked like a couple to the others, dancing so close together and staring at each other so intensely.
They had went to many parties before, but never had they danced together. She neither knew nor cared who was looking at that moment.
He was a good dancer, synchronizing his moves so well with her more clumsy ones. The music was so perfect for what she felt, that butterflies were starting to form in her belly, while she could feel her eyes water. Gods, why was she so emotional lately?
"I thought you would be a clumsy dancer, Granger. I can say I'm a little surprised." He said, smirking. Gods, he was so handsome, how come she hadn't seen it so clearly before? She couldn't, no, she wouldn't talk, as she was afraid her voice would come out all jittery. He took her hand and spun her around once, her hands hitting his sculpted chest when she regained her balance. Her face was even closer to him now, closer than before, and they both had their mouths slightly open and were breathing raggedly, as if awaiting for something monumental to happen, something that would shatter their lives from their very cores. But the song was slowly beginning to fade away. He bent down and softly grazed his lips on her rosy cheek, a million sparks erupting from where they touched. She silently exhaled as the song was over, and he looked at her again and said:
"Thanks, Ace." And he was off without another word.
Onlylater did Hermione realise that she hadn't managed to utter one word to him the whole time. "You're welcome.." she muttered under her breath.
The rest of the night continued without other notable events, as she tried to avoid Ron and Draco for the rest of it. She didn't know why she steered clear from the latter, though.
After 3 food courses, Harry and Ginny cut a 5 tiered gold and red cake with two Firebolts crossed in front. It was really delicious, Hermione thought, but her stomach rejected any food she ingested, no matter how delicious, that day.
Later, people were already starting to leave, only family and close friends remaining in the end. Harry and Ginny would leave for their honeymoon in India and Thailand the very next morning.
Hermione left for her house that night half-heartedly. She didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts. She had been stressed out at the wedding, as they were expecting Dolohov to show up as Epson, but he didn't.
He was, of course, aware of the fact that his disguise had been uncovered, especially after a Hit-Wizard squad had investigated Epson's house yesterday. They hadn't found Epson's body, but the house was full of dark objects and had been horribly neglected. She and Draco would have to go there on Monday to investigate.
And of course, there was Draco. What was happening to them? They were lunching together, dancing, touching, hugging, when did it all start? She had no idea, but it made her stomach flutter just by thinking of it. It was an extremely unnerving feeling, and she got it almost every time she thought of him now. She just hoped it wouldn't interfere with the job they had to do…
Draco had been, Hermione had to admit, very nice to her lately. Yesterday, after the extremely bizarre scene in the Telephone Booth, he had given her a drive home in his stunning Porsche Cayenne. He was a confident driver, but he drove too fast for Hermione's taste. When he stopped in front of her house she felt another strange impulse to invite him in. But she didn't, of course.
She had felt very guilty for even thinking that afterwards, as Ron had barely moved out three days ago. She couldn't let these urges get the better of her again. Not ever. Or, at least not while they were still partners.
Hermione hit her bed fully clothed and exhausted, and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Hey guys! There are a few things I'd like to say. Firstly, it was incredibly hard for me to write this chapter, especially the first part. I had thought of it from the very beginning, but writing about Dumbledore was heart wrenching for me. I really hope you enjoy that part. Secondly, I'm sorry for making you wait longer than usual, I'll try not to let it happen again.
If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask me. Love & Please Review!
