A/N Thanks to Grande.Vanilla.Skim.Latte who betaed the next couple of chapters for me (backwards lol, sorry Amy)
Hermione sat in her seat and scowled at the guests. She didn't see why they had to do speeches. She hated this part of weddings the most. She saw no need for their friends and family to stand up and tell embarrassing stories or worse, cute mushy stories.
But Hermione was Hermione so she gritted her teeth and smiled as Harry stood up to deliver the first speech.
"I don't think there is a person in the wizarding world who doesn't know the name Hermione Granger. She's almost as famous as me."
The crowd laughed and Hermione couldn't help it, she laughed too. It was a rare moment when Harry would joke about his celebrity status.
"But few people," he continued, "know the true Hermione. Many think they know her; the bushy haired know-it-all bookworm –"
"Gee, thanks Harry!" Hermione called and everyone laughed again, even the evil purebloods. Though that may have had more to do with the copious amounts of liquor they had consumed rather then that they found it amusing. Anything was amusing to them at the moment; spirits were definitely high.
"Like I was saying, few truly know her. Few are privileged to see the woman that she is; beautiful, honest, fiercely loyal and passionately determined to make this the best world possible for her friends, her family, for strangers, for enemies and for every living creature that dwells here with us. She never backs down, but stands tall and proud with the decisions she has made. If I hadn't met that bushy haired know-it-all bookworm on the train that first day I don't know where I would be. Dead, probably. But if I had somehow managed to survive, I know my life would not be even half as fulfilled as it is now, with her in it.
"Hermione Granger is more then a friend, more then a best friend, she's my sister. She stood by me in our darkest days and now I'm proud to stand by her in what I'm sure she will remember as her brightest. To Hermione!"
Hermione stood and hugged Harry tightly as everyone raised their glasses to her and drank deeply.
"Thank you," she whispered. They were each other's family, orphaned in one way or another and left to each other. Their friendship, their love, their bond, was unconditional.
Harry hugged her back just as enthusiastically and didn't miss the glare Blaise shot at him. He laughed it off and turned back to Hermione.
"I love you."
"I love you, too, Harry."
"Alright, alright," Draco said, standing with his glass and Hermione sat back down next to Blaise, laughing as he heard him groan.
"Well, I guess it's my turn to sing Blaise's praises. He never saved the world but I'll try to come up with something just as flowery as Potter."
This, too, got a laugh from the crowd, even the 'good' side of the guests, just as sloshed as the side of questionable morals. Hermione could tell Draco was rotten drunk. And though his words were kind and honest, she had a feeling he would never have revealed them without a good deal of alcohol in his system.
"Blaise never aspired to save the world. He is happy to live his life the best way he knows how. He works hard in school and at home and some of you may be surprised to learn, he loves just as hard. Like Gra- Hermione, he is a loyal and good friend. You never have to ask him for anything, because he has already offered it. Selfless to a fault, he would do anything for a friend, for family, for his wife."
Hermione didn't want to but she smiled at Draco, only for a moment.
"He's a good man, his family, Hermione included, should be proud. I've never met a better man. To Blaise!"
Hermione couldn't help it, she snorted. She believed he spoke the truth, but that it was coming from Draco, that Blaise was the best man he knew, wasn't saying much. It was like standing in a room full of Death Eaters and choosing the most honest man.
Luckily, people had applauded and no one heard her less then well-mannered snort.
Blaise stood and shook Draco's hand before turning to address their guests.
"I would like to take a moment to thank Mrs Weasley and my mother for putting all this together in just a couple of hours. And to Ginny, Luna and Angelina for choosing the dress for my beautiful bride to wear. Doesn't she look beautiful?"
Hermione blushed as the crowd cheered their agreement, accompanied by a few wolf whistles from Charlie and the twin's direction.
On and on it went. They told stories, anecdotes, made speeches, thanked people and toasted anyone who came to mind. As they got progressively inebriated, the randomness just got worse. At one stage, a very drunk Pansy stood, supported by George, to toast to the Marriage Law. That toast received the loudest cheer of all and Hermione just shook her head. At least they were all enjoying themselves.
Hagrid sat in the corner with Professor Slughorn, their table littered with bottles of wine, and what appeared to be the contents of Hagrid's coat spread out across the table. Hagrid kept picking items up and pressing them into the Professor's hands. They seemed to have become good drinking buddies after that first night bonding over the death of Hagrid's acromantula, Aragog.
All around the room, the most random sort of people were hooking up and Hermione's fuzzy mind took a while to realise that they must have been the Marriage Law pairs. Her and Blaise's wedding was the first big social wedding of the Law and in people were using it as an excuse to get drunk and get to know their partners better. She smiled as she watched Neville dance with his intended, Hannah Abbott, with more confidence then she'd ever seen in the boy. However, that also had a lot to do with his role in the final battle. Before the Law, Hermione had heard the Mr Longbottom had definitely been enjoying his newfound popularity with the women.
She giggled as Ron and Luna reappeared from the gardens. Ron looked like he had just one the lottery and Luna was reapplying her lip-gloss. Those two had been nearly inseparable once they both got over the shock of their match. And they were a good match.
She noticed that Draco didn't seem to have a match and wondered if he'd already scared off the woman the ministry had matched him with. When she mentioned it to Blaise, he had told her of Draco not being matched with anyone. That he would have to wait a couple of years as more girls came of age to see if he would be matched with anyone. Until then he was free to date girls from different countries.
On the way to the bathroom, Hermione had come across a teary Millicent Bulstrode.
"Are you alright, Millicent?" Hermione asked, sitting next to her on the couch. It was an odd place for a couch, in the hallway, but it was a large house and she supposed it might be necessary to rest for a moment.
"I'm fine, it's just…"
"Yes?"
"I've been rematched with Lee Jordan!" she cried.
"Rematched?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Yes, I was originally matched with Percy Weasley and," she paused to glance around to check no one was listening, "I've always had a bit of a crush on Percy. I was really happy with the match. I mean, he told me he was going to get a pardon but they're so hard to get, I didn't think he'd get one. But he did and I had to be rematched. Today was the last day of pardons and I've been rematched with Lee."
Hermione bit back the laugh that threatened to escape. She was crying over Percy!
"Don't all parties have to consent to a pardon?" Hermione asked, keeping her other comments to herself.
"I did! He looked so happy with that Penelope girl, I just wanted to make him happy but now I wish I had never done it. I want Percy!"
"Oh, Millicent. Lee is a lovely man. He's funny and smart and quite good looking, don't you think?"
"He's alright," she muttered.
"And, Pansy's marrying George and he and Lee are really good mates, so that's a plus, right?" Hermione didn't give her a chance to respond but pushed on.
"And, he's got a great job on the radio and as a commentator for the Pro Quidditch League. You'll never want for anything."
"I suppose," Millicent finally admitted reluctantly. She hugged Hermione unexpectedly. "Thanks, I feel much better now."
Hermione patted her arm and continued on towards the bathroom. It wouldn't be a party without at least one crying female.
But now Hermione was getting tired and thought that if Blaise didn't stop drinking soon, they wouldn't have a wedding night, he would be passed out cold.
So when there was a lull in the speeches she stood and delicately tapped her champagne glass.
"Thank you everyone for coming. No one here is ignorant of the fact that under normal circumstances, we wouldn't all be here together, celebrating this union. But here we are and you have all made it an evening I will never forget, though there are a few things I wish we could forget." She turned her pointed gaze to the twins who had taken it upon themselves to drag up every story in which Hermione and Draco had ever be mean to each other, including but not limited to the time he expanded her teeth and the time she had hit him.
"I think we sit here, a perfect example that we all can get along. Unity is not just a dream of a crazy old dead man, but a realistic goal we call work towards. Once we are able to break down –"
"I think what my wife is trying to say is, 'Thanks everyone for coming and not fighting like a bunch of gnomes on crack.'" Hermione glared at Blaise and his interruption but everyone else just laughed. "Now, it's late, we appreciate you celebrating with us, but now its time for a more private celebration, so get out!"
Hermione blushed so red she thought her hair would catch fire, but no one noticed as they laughed heartily and began gathering their things. Yelling goodbyes across the crowded room, in small groups people began vacating the large ballroom until only a small contingent of family and friends remained.
Blaise went to talk to Draco, giving Hermione the privacy to talk to Ginny, Mrs Weasley, Ron and Harry who had lingered.
She hugged each of them tightly, thanking them, yet again.
"Blaise seems like a good man," Mrs Weasley slurred slightly. "He'll be a gentle lover."
"Mum!" cried Ron and Ginny while Harry tried to hide his snicker.
"Go!" Ginny directed her mother to one of the fireplaces and instructed the boys to help her home. "Go home you drunk old witch."
Hermione giggled nervously and clasped Ginny's hands.
"Have you ever… with Harry?"
Ginny's ears tinged pink but she shook her head.
"No, not all the way. So I'm relying on you to ease my fears between now and Sunday night."
Hermione giggled again, she'd had a little too much champagne.
"What if it's awful, Gin?" she whispered. "What if it hurts?"
"I don't know, Hermione. I know the mechanics of it, but its different for everyone, isn't it?"
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just…"
"Hermione?" Blaise called to her.
They turned to find they were the only ones left.
"It's getting late…" He trailed off, not wanting to push Ginny out but he wanted to be alone with his wife.
"Right, sorry, you must be tired."
Ginny giggled. "Yes, I'm sure a good night's sleep is what he has in mind."
"Goodnight Ginny!" Hermione said and after a quick hug pushed her smart mouthed friend towards the fireplace. "Thanks for your unhelpful parting words."
"OWL me tomorrow, we still need to do the final dress fitting and see the florist and finalise the seating arrangements –"
"Goodnight, Ginny." Blaise had spoken, not harshly, but it was final and Ginny quickly ducked into the fireplace.
They were alone, finally. Hermione glanced timidly at Blaise and he laughed nervously.
"Shall we?" he asked and held his hand out to Hermione. She took it and he led her though the maze that was his house until they stopped outside a large, impressive set of double doors.
"This is my room. If you want, you can stay with me or that," he pointed to a smaller but no less impressive set of doors across the hall "is your room."
"I'd like my own room, if you don't mind."
He smiled tightly. "Of course, I'll have your things moved in first thing… tomorrow."
Hermione nodded, showing both her agreement and her understanding of the word, 'tomorrow.' Tonight they had business together, in his room.
"Shall we?" she asked, echoing his words, and he flashed her a quick smile.
"Don't look so scared, Hermione. It's sex, not torture."
"I'm not scared," she said quickly, trying to convince herself more then him and fooling no one. He just shook his head and laughed lightly.
Blaise turned and dramatically pushed open the doors.
The words fell from Hermione's mouth before she could stop them, "Holy shit."
A/N I'm posting another chapter right after this one because I don't know when I'll be on again. I beg beg beg you, if you have the time and intend to review, review this chapter, before reading the next. I'm not fishing for reviews, I don't want 'great chapter' or 'cute', I would like proper opinions on this chapter because for some reason I've become terribly insecure about the direction of this story. I don't want it to be too fluffy so... yeah. If you have the time, constructive feedback would be highly appreciated!