"I'm sure it's fine, Pansy, just come out so I can see it, please?" Hermione begged from outside the little changing room at Madam Malkin's Couture.
"Don't rush me, missy, you may be the centerpiece of this wedding, but I'm the embellishment. So sit tight and let me do my thing."
Hermione flopped backward on the big ottoman she was sitting on. She was exhausted. They had spent the whole day shopping for flowers, tasting cakes, figuring out a menu and finally, trying on gowns and shoes. Hermione was never the kind of girl to do these type of things, but her new friend's enthusiasm was contagious, and she deeply appreciated the Slytherin girl's unconditional support.
After a whirlwind romance that had raised lots of eyebrows and had all wizarding papers and magazines on a riot, Hermione Granger was marrying Draco Malfoy after only three months of courting. They had bumped into each other at a bookstore and things had moved incredibly fast from there. That very first day Hermione had taken him to a little cafe and cracked him open like an egg. He had spilled out all of his pain, his fear, his resentments and after the last drop had emptied he found himself desperate to fill the void with new and pure feelings. And she had obliged. She was tired of the war, the aftermath, the politics, the way everybody seemed to have an opinion about what the Golden Girl should do with her life without any consideration for her feelings, her needs or her desires. So in an unexpected act of rebellion, the Gryffindor Princess let herself fall in the arms of the fallen Slytherin Prince and neither of them looked back.
The people that had supported their decision could be counted with fingers, but they were the most important people in their lives. Harry Potter, who had been outraged for about two days, until he realized that his best friend was smiling again, an open, warm smile like he had not seen since they were children. Having gone through a short, failed marriage that he got into because it was expected of him to do so, he was now more than happy to support Hermione's desire to choose her own path. He even formed an unforeseen bond with Draco, who paradoxically had filled the void caused by the estrangement between him and Ron that followed his divorce. George Weasley was genuinely happy for them, despite the fact that his family's reactions ranged from cautious acceptance to full on aggravation. Andromeda Tonks was happy to see her nephew make the right choices, and she had reconnected with her sister Narcissa, who was elated, as she had been sure that her husband's actions and her own had condemned her son to a life of misery. And finally, Pansy Parkinson, Draco's oldest and most trusted friend had not been surprised to hear that bleeding heart Hermione Granger had offered a helping hand to Draco, but the falling in love part had been a welcomed surprise. She had seen her friend consumed by regrets and had felt helpless about it for a long time. So when it became obvious that Draco was infatuated she offered Hermione her most sincere apologies for all the years of bad blood and her friendship, which also came at a great time, as now there was a big ridge between her and Ginny that would take time to heal. With Hermione's encouragement, Pansy had been able to heal her own regrets. She had written a long letter to Harry apologizing for the years of bullying and especially for the horrible thing she had said the night of the final battle, words that she had carried like a huge weight over her shoulders for years. A friendly correspondence had ensued after that, and though they had not seen each other yet, Pansy felt that she may be developing a little bit of a pen pal crush.