Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction using characters and entities from the Wizarding World trademarked by J. K. Rowling. Original plots, dialogue, and characters are mine.
Synopsis: We've come full circle. The story began with Rose and Scorpius's Engagement party and now their wedding is upon us.
Songs that inspired the chapter (big chapter for music. It is a wedding after all!):
Sweet Child O' Mine - Rick Rubin New Mix – Sheryl Crow
And I Love Her - Remastered – The Beatles
In My Life - Remastered 2009 – The Beatles
Daughters – John Mayer
I Will - Remastered – The Beatles
First Day Of My Life – Bright Eyes
Green & Gold - Solo – Lianne La Havas
Till There Was You - Remastered – The Beatles
Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne) – Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne
Love Never Felt so Good – Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake
Chapter 29: And I Love Her
24 August 2030
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in," Draco hollers as he adjusts his tie. Scorpius walks up behind him, dressed in the sharply tailored muggle tuxedo, looking excited and nervous all at the same time.
"Hey, Dad. How do I look?" Scorpius presents himself and does a spin.
The father looks at his grown son, and his heart swells with pride. "You look great, Scorp. Which cufflinks are you wearing?"
"The ones you gave me for graduation; with the family crest." Scorpius tugs on the cuffs to show Draco without having to take off his jacket
"Follow me. Those are for every day. You need to wear something special for your wedding." He beams as he goes through the jewelry cases in his walk-in closet.
"You going to miss this closet in the townhouse?" Scorpius teases, pointing out his father's penchant for finery.
"Extension charms, son. Hermione is great at them," he says with a wink. Still rifling though, he finds the perfect set and a pocket watch. "Take off your wrist watch and wear this one. This watch, I wore to my wedding. The cufflinks too."
"Really?"
"Yes really. Now, where is the photographer? Aren't they supposed to be catching these type of things?" Draco said, sounding annoyed.
"I don't know, but I'm kind of glad it's just us right now," he says as he presents his wrist out to his father.
"Wait. Before I help you, let me retrieve my camera." He summons it and casts the Cameramea Leviosa charm of his own invention.
"Nice, Dad," Scorpius says, impressed as it hovers around them, capturing the moment.
"You might want to learn that one for your honeymoon," Draco says with a wink.
"Ugh," Scorpius winces, refusing any insight to his father's sex life—but his face relaxes as he realizes the possibilities. "What was that spell again?"
Draco laughs as he removes his son's silver cufflinks with a mother of pearl M inlaid into the onyx crest. "I'll write it down for you." He replaces them with oval, brushed platinum ones with a raised, gold border in a Greek Key pattern, and in the center is a brilliant oval-cut emerald. "Your great-grandfather gave these to your mother before he passed. He hoped that she would give them to me to wear on our wedding day; the matching watch, too. He liked me more than your Uncle Theo. Astoria was devastated he didn't live to see it, but he was there in spirit. And now, you'll have both of them with you."
Scorpius examines the heirlooms and has to steady himself before getting too emotional. There are times he forgets she's gone and goes about his day, then there are days like this, where he aches for his mother. He winds the pocket watch and syncs it with his wrist watch when his father says, "Read the inscription; she added it."
Bright are the stars that shine
Dark is the sky
I know this love of mine
Will never die
"The Beatles," he laughs with a wistful smile and wipes his eyes. "It's perfect. I miss her a lot. Today especially. Um. Thanks, Dad. For everything. Not just the jewelry—for always being there, raising me on your own, and never trying to replace her or letting me forget her." He wraps his arms around his father, and they both let a few tears roll.
"You're welcome. I'm just so proud of you. I love you, Scorpius."
"I love you, too," he breaks the embrace and wipes his eyes. "I'm just going to give myself another check in the mirror and talk to her before we go."
"I'll meet you down there. I just need to finish up."
—xoxox—
Scorpius walks up to his mother's portrait and smooths out his tuxedo and adjusts the white rose boutonnière. "Hey, Mum."
"Hello, my beautiful boy," the oil painting gazes down at him. "You look very handsome."
"Thanks, Mummy. I'm getting married today. To Rose," he beams brightly as his eyes start to water. "I wish you were here to see it. Dad gave me the cufflinks and watch you gave him on your wedding day."
"Let me see," she says as she peers down.
As he displays the gift, the knot in his chest grows tighter. "I miss you. A lot. I know you're not really here, but—" he takes out his handkerchief and dabs his eyes.
Draco rounds the corner and watches Scorpius speak to the portrait.
"Oh, my little scorpion. How I wish I had more time with this portrait to impart more of my memories. But just know, you are so loved, and I am so proud of you. You will make a wonderful husband and father, just like your own." She places her hand flat against the canvas so that Scorpius can place his against hers.
"I love you, Mummy."
"I love you more."
Draco places his hands on Scorpius's shoulders and says, "It's time to go."
He nods his head and says, "Goodbye, Mum."
"Good luck, Sweetheart."
Scorpius can tell his father would like a word with the portrait and says, "I'll wait for you in the front."
"I'll be right there," he tells his son, watching him walk away. "Hello, Darling."
"Hello, my love. You don't visit me as often," she says, not with sadness but with suggestion.
Draco admires the portrait of his wife, who will be eternally young as he grows older. "Well, I finally moved on, just like you wanted."
"Good. I couldn't have you pining over a dead woman for the rest of your life. You're far too sexy for that," she laughs.
"And when my life is over, and I have another woman?"
"I'll wait for both of you."
"Paradise indeed," he smiles, "I picked the best first wife."
"And I'm sure you'll pick an excellent second wife."
He swallows hard, wondering how he got so lucky being blessed with not just one, but two incredible women in his lifetime. "Part of me will always love you, Astoria. And your blessing means the world to me."
"I love you, too. Now go. We can't have our son late for his wedding."
—xoxox—
"Okay, Mum! You can come in!" Rose hollers from the other side of the door. Hermione had just finished getting ready in her suite and is now anxiously waiting in the sitting room of Rose's suite while she gets primped. Cho suggested that Hermione not see Rose until it was time to zip up her gown. As the mother of the bride, she was quite reluctant and wanted to be there for everything.
The moment Hermione opens the double doors, she gasps. "Rosie..." the mother of the bride claps her hand over her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion. Her little girl is a vision in an ivory lace and silk, long-sleeve A-line gown, with just the right amount of crystal beading. Rose looks even more beautiful than at the fitting. Hermione isn't sure if it's because of the hair and makeup, or because she has the radiance of a blushing bride. Overcome with emotion, Hermione starts fanning herself not wanting to cry. "I spent a bloody hour in that makeup chair! I will not cry it off! Oh, my little flower. You look perfect. Merlin. There go the tears."
Rose laughs at her mother, and her eyes start to water, too. "Stop it, mum! If you cry, I'm going to cry, and we'll have to do it all over again. Jenny, can't you magick this makeup from running?" she asks the artist.
"It is. But it won't prevent your eyes from getting all red and puffy," she answers. "So keep the crying to a minimum."
Hermione walks over and hugs her daughter, but is mindful not to squeeze too hard and wrinkle the gown. "Alright, let's get you buttoned and zipped." Hermione waves her wand and makes quick work of what would be a tedious task using muggle means. "So you have your something old?"
"Draco gave me these," Rose displays the teardrop diamond earrings from the Malfoy vaults.
"Something new?"
"The handkerchief Gran embroidered for me."
"Something borrowed?"
"The comb from Victoire," pointing to the crystal and silver roses and vines at the base of her updo.
"And here is your something blue from me and your grandparents," Hermione smiles, slipping a sapphire ring on her right hand. "They gave me this on my seventeenth birthday; it's my birthstone. But now you have something from the Grangers, Weasleys, and Malfoys." Hermione beams and wipes away more tears.
The photographer has been discreetly snapping photos, catching everything as it happens naturally. The hair and makeup artists are packing up when Lily returns to the room.
"Aunt Hermione, Rosie. Uncle Ron is downstairs with your car. The coach for the rest of the family is here, too."
"Thanks, Lil. Could you tell my dad we'll be there soon? I just want a moment with mum first."
"Sure. I'll see you in the lobby," her cousin replies and closed the door behind her.
"Guys, could you also head down to the lobby and wait for us?" Rose asks the photographer, videographer, and stylists. They reply and say their goodbyes for now.
"What do you want to talk about, sweetheart? You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Hermione says with a bit of uneasiness in her voice.
"No, no. A little bit. Not about Scorpius, but—" she takes a beat, "How will I know my marriage will last? How will we know we'll stay happy?"
Hermione interlaces her fingers with her daughter's and says, "You won't know. You'll never know. But you have to want it and never forget how much you love each other. I know you're scared because your father and I didn't have the best marriage and we're not exactly great role models. But we loved each other. Truly, we did. We loved each other to have you and your brother, and enough to fight for it as long as we did. But our love was a different kind of love, not the kind you and Scorpius have, or even the kind Draco and I have. I still love your father in a way that will never fade but its—"
"Fraternal?"
Laughing Hermione says, "Yeah. He and your Uncle Harry will always be my best friends. Now that we're no longer married, we're closer than we have been in years, and I didn't realize how much I missed his friendship."
Rose puts her head on her mother's shoulder and savors these last few quiet moments.
"Sweetheart, marriage will be hard, and it will change your lives. There will be times you can't stand each other and times you can't live without each other. When times get rough, remember the good days. As long as you both remember to be one-hundred percent honest, forgiving, and accepting, you'll make it. What you and Scorpius have is so much more than your father, and I had."
"Really? You think so?"
"I know so. The way you look at each other hasn't changed in ten years. You're school sweethearts who grew puppy love into something real, something strong. Just look at you two! Before getting married, look at how much you have accomplished together!" Rose looks down, proud and embarrassed at the same time. Hermione continues, "You two aren't afraid of hard work or expressing yourselves or vulnerability. Whatever you two are doing is working. Keep that up and find a way to be even better. Be each other's beginning and end. And for the love of God, have lots of sex. Don't let your family and jobs ruin your sex life."
"Mum!" she blushes, sheer mortification on her face. "Oh, Merlin. Is that one of the reasons your marriage failed?"
"A contributing factor. But if Scorpius is anything like his father—"
"Please don't finish that sentence."
—xoxox—
Albus and Scorpius sit in a room of the church waiting for Cho's assistant to give them the cue to start lining up. Al passes a flask to the groom, but he refuses.
"I'm good. I want to have a clear head when I recite my vows."
His best friend rolls his eyes, "Scorp, you're jittery as hell. Look at your leg. It won't stop tapping."
"I'm excited. I'm not nervous," he flips open the watch and sees it is a quarter till. He's usually patient, but the anticipation is killing him. "Al, hand me the ring. I want to look at it again."
Albus tucks away the flask and reaches into his right jacket pocket—nothing. He proceeds to check the other side, then the inside pocket, and his trouser pockets. Frantically, he pats down the tuxedo and with a harried voice says, "Mother fucking shit cunt bollocks! Can't find the ring!"
"What do you mean you can't find the fucking ring?" Scorpius's eyes go wide with disbelief.
"They were right here in my pocket—"
"Albus Severus Potter. That belonged to MY MOTHER. AND HER MOTHER BEFORE HER. AND HER MOTHER BEFORE HER." Albus had only seen Scorpius this upset when Declan McLaggen 'accidentally' groped Rose in a quidditch huddle. Still seething, through gritted teeth, Scorpius says, "Find. It."
"Fuck Scorp. Calm down. I'll find the fucking thing," Albus responds flippantly.
Scorpius instinctively reaches to mess with his hair but remembers he can't. "Christ on a cracker, Al. The wedding starts in 15 minutes!"
"Scorp, don't get your monogrammed pants in a twist. I'll just summon it."
"Right. Right," he calms down remembering that simple accio is all they need.
Albus rolls his eyes while casting, "Accio Scorp's mum's ring!"
At that moment, Draco opens the door, and the summoning charm rips his trouser pocket as the ring forces its way to into Albus's palm.
Deadpan, Draco says, "Al. Did you forget I took the ring from you to polish it?"
"Fuck…" Albus groans as the memory hits him.
Scorpius is to the point of hyperventilating. The nerves are getting to him, and he is uncharacteristically erratic. "Fuck. My dad's tux is ruined."
"Chill Scorp. Have you honestly forgotten we can do magic? We'll just use reparo." Albus casts the charm on the frayed material, but it quickly unravels.
Calmly, Draco says, "I think the material is too delicate to be repaired. No worries. This isn't the only tux I own. I'll just summon Bobbin."
With a sigh, Scorpius starts to calm down with the ring in his hand and the house elf on his way. Draco urges his son to take a seat and puts his hands on his shoulders in a comforting, protective way. "Al, I'll take a sip of that scotch now."
"I told you," he chastises as he pulls the flask back out.
"Where's my favorite nephew?" Theo stumbles into the room and observes the scene. Scorpius is clearly anxious, and Draco's trousers have a large tear in them. Cheekily he asks, "Granger do that?"
"Why must people constantly bring up my father's sex life?" Scorpius sighs.
"Cheer up, Scorp," Theo nudges him. "It's funny. It's nice to know his prick still works."
Albus snickers as the two Malfoys go red. "Nah, I'm just the idiot who forgot I gave the ring to Draco. Summoning charm gone wrong."
"Bobbin should be back soon with some freshly-pressed trousers," Draco says casually, looking at his watch.
"How much time do we have?" Theo asks.
Draco replies, "I would say about ten minutes until we are supposed to line up for the procession."
"The planner will tell us when to go," Scorpius chimes in.
"Well if that's the case," Theo takes out a joint and takes a few puffs before passing to Albus. The best man shrugs and takes a few hits.
Draco, astounded at their behavior, scolds them, "Jesus Fucking Christ, Theo. Albus. This is a fucking church."
"Yes, Dad. It's a church. It's probably considered blasphemous to say 'Jesus Fucking Christ.'"
The door opens, and the men are expecting the planner, but it's Harry. Judgment all over his face, he waves away pot smoke, "Did I just walk into the Slytherin Boys Dorm?"
Theo chuckles, "All that's missing is Pansy giving everyone a blowie."
"Our year it was Gemma Hale," Albus smirks.
Scorpius, quick to defend himself blurts, "I DID NOT participate in that, Dad."
Al turns to his father and winks, "I did."
"Fucking snakes," Harry jokes half-heartedly, "Theo, the godparents need to take our seats and parents need to line up. What's going on with your trousers Draco?"
Pop! As if right on cue, Bobbin returns with his master's slacks. He changes quickly, hands the ripped ones to his servant and dismisses the elf. Draco gives his son one last hug for good luck and follows Harry and Theo out.
"Hold on to this. Don't forget you have it," Scorpius teases Albus.
"I won't," he responds. "Shit, man. We're officially going to be family."
"Not just that, but my mother-in-law could potentially become my step-mother and my wife my step-sister."
"Wizarding families are fucked."
The two men laugh and share the last bit of whisky in the flask.
It dawns on Albus what Scorpius was suggesting, "Shit. Is your dad—"
"Mate, he's renovating the townhouse all to her liking. He gave me these cufflinks and watch that my mum gave him. Oh, and my mum's portrait said something today about a second wife. I didn't catch it all, but yeah. Only a matter of time."
"Wow...like them dating wasn't weird to me...but Hermione Malfoy. Yeah. No. That's weird." Albus pulls a confused-looking face.
"Knock knock," Cho says as she walks through the door. "It's time. So Scorpius and Albus, you two will wait at the altar with your backs turned—"
"About that," Scorpius interrupts. "I know it's tradition and all, but I never intend on turning my back on my wife. I'm not going to start our marriage off that way."
The wedding planner smiles. "I love it. Just a few more minutes and you'll see your beautiful bride. Okay. Follow me. It's showtime."
—xoxox—
Hermione takes Draco's arm, ready for the procession to begin, and reaches over with her free hand squeezes his hand. In a hushed, yet excited voice she says, "Our kids are getting married! Rosie looks so beautiful. I'm a blubbering idiot and can't stop crying."
"Oh, this morning was emotional too. Not every day your only child gets married. But Scorpius also looks very handsome. He's nervous but excited." He leans down to kiss the top of her head, not wanting to ruin her makeup. "Is it acceptable to start talking about grandchildren yet?"
"After the ceremony," she says with a wink.
—xoxox—
"You look beautiful, Rosie Posie," Ron says to his daughter as they wait behind the church doors. The music hasn't changed, indicating the wedding party is still making their way down the aisle.
"Thanks, Daddy," she looks up at him with a smile and he boops her on the nose.
"Rose Amelia Malfoy. It's going to take me a little while to get used to it," he sighs, "but I can't wait for you to pop out those little blond monsters. A Gryffindor Malfoy. Man, that sounds great."
"Can you wait for me to say 'I do' before you start talking about grandchildren and sorting?" she says sarcastically.
The string quartet starts to play their rendition of Fix You and the doors swing open. Rose's chest heaves as she looks out to the congregation and catches Scorpius's gaze. And just like that—all of her nerves are gone, and everyone else disappears from view.
"Let's go, Daddy," she says eager to meet her groom. As they walk past the topiaries marking the aisle, white roses magically bloom in sync with their steps. Ron has to slow her down, not just because she's out of time with the music, but he wants to hold onto his little girl just a bit longer.
Scorpius stares at his bride inching closer and closer to him, and he couldn't be happier he said to hell with tradition. He would have missed this—the sunlight at her back, the timid smile, and that nervous purse of her lips when she's trying not to cry. He can't recall a moment she looked more beautiful and mouths, I love you. Scorpius feels a bit guilty as he sees her tearing up and dabbing her eyes with her hanky. But she gets him back and mouths, I love you more. That was them, challenging each other to be more.
Rose and her father reach the aisle, and the minister asks, "Who gives this woman to this man?"
"Her mother and I," Ron responds. He kisses her cheek, then shakes Scorpius's hand, and takes a seat next to his ex-wife. He looks over at Draco next to a symbolically empty seat on his left, and his in-laws to the right. The two men acknowledge each other with a nod.
The bride and groom comply with all of the minister's instructions while barely taking their eyes off each other. Then came the moment for their vows. Scorpius went first.
"Rose Amelia Granger-Weasley, I, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, have no idea what I did in a past life or this life to deserve you. I cannot promise to provide for you because you are more than capable of that yourself. But what I can promise is always to have roses on your desk, chocolate in the cupboard, a foot rub after a long day, an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on or punch, whichever you're in the mood for." They both chuckle and he continues. "I promise you'll never feel unloved, unwanted, or undesired. I promise to love you in sickness, and in health, till death do us part."
"How do I follow that?" Rose jokes as Scorpius reaches out to wipe away her tears. "I had something planned, but I'm going to wing it. Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, I, Rose Amelia Granger-Weasley think you're absolutely ridiculous. It's me who doesn't deserve you. Your patience will always balance my stubbornness. I promise always to have those muggle sweets you like so much in my purse, to pick my dirty laundry off the floor, and I promise to be your partner in everything. You'll never just listen to my ramblings; we will have conversations. If you need to cry, too, we'll cry together. If we fight, we'll always make up. You are my beginning and end, and I promise to love you in sickness, and in health, till death do us part."
They exchange their rings and know that it's almost official. More encouraging words and prayers from the preacher and at the sound of, "You may kiss the bride," Scorpius practically lunges toward Rose and captures her lips with his. With all the flourish of a Malfoy, he dips her for a picture-perfect moment. When they come up for air, the minister announces them as the new Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Scorpius kisses his wife's hand and recedes down the aisle with their wedding party and family following behind. Albus, the best man, high-fives Evie Heywood, the maid of honor, before escorting her. When they pass, Hermione is escorted by both Ron and Draco, with the rest of the family behind. It was official. The Grangers, Weasleys, Potters, and Malfoys are now all part of the same family.
—xoxox—
When everyone walks into the Signet Library, smiles grow on their faces. The tall Corinthian columns and frescoes are well maintained, befitting any pureblood estate, but the books and intimacy of the space couldn't be more Rose and Scorpius. As a tribute to where they fell in love, candles are enchanted to float above them like in the Great Hall. The centerpieces on the tables are tall gold candelabras, cascading with greenery and white roses, and fireflies buzz around, casting the most captivating sparkle. Wrapped around the grand columns are garlands of greenery with smaller buds of white spray roses. The decorators mixed in some additional muggle lighting to cast an overall wash of golden light. Paired with the simplicity of the greenery and white florals, it is elegant without being overdone.
The dinner is delicious, prepared by the best caterers in the city. Rose almost killed her cousin at the tasting, wondering why she brought him along. Albus questioned everything and made them revise their menus twice. In hindsight, she's glad he cared enough to be so demanding. The meal was unlike any they've ever had at an event like this and is the talk of the guests.
Glasses clink signaling it's time for the speeches. The best man stands and gives the bride and groom a wink. A slight terror comes over them as they can't recall how much he's had to drink. Albus clears his throat and casts a sonorus charm with his wand in right hand and champagne in his left, "Hello everyone. We having a good time?" He pauses for a reaction. After the polite applause and getting the odd hoot and holler, he smugly continues, "I'm glad. My aunt and uncle paid a fortune for this thing. Mum, Dad," He points at Harry and Ginny, "I don't know if you'll ever have to do this for Lily, but if she doesn't, just float her budget into mine. Mostly the booze budget."
The crowd laughs at the younger Potter's humor and charisma. "Alright. I know what you're thinking. Damn. The Potter spawn is just as snarky as his dad...but so much more handsome...thanks to my mother's genes," he drawls with a smirk. "A few of you look worried that I might be a little drunk, and this is going to be an all-out roast. I would say, yes. You're probably right."
His smirk deepens, worthy of his house, and puts on his haughtiest, posh voice and says, " Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy... Fuck, Draco. Could you have picked a more pretentious name? I think you seriously wanted his arse kicked daily—which it was—mine too. Look now, mother fuckers! He's a member of the Cabinet and I...am less of a slacker. At least I have a cute girlfriend now." He gives Polly a wink in the audience and tries to get back on track.
"Scorp and I met on our first ride on the Hogwarts Express. Two weirdo losers in the shadows of our fathers. Oh, but this nerd... just had to fall for my cousin on day one, didn't he? Rosie. You need to know this, but you were a bitch. I love you, but you were a total nightmare for the first four years at school. Come on! Look at this handsome cinnamon roll! Who doesn't fall for the line, 'you smell like bread'?"
Rose kisses Scorpius, apologizing for her terrible pre-teen behavior, "Hey! I learned my lesson."
"Yeah, you did," he kisses her sweetly, accompanied by the tinkling of glassware urging them to kiss more.
"Excuse me, but I'm in the middle of my speech," Albus reminds the guests. "Well, in our time as outcasts, I found my best friend—the one person who really gets you, even when you don't know yourself. You know that utter humiliation they subject us to when we start school? Sorting? The thing that labels us for the rest of our lives? Well, I one-hundred percent think that if his name weren't Malfoy, that hat would have stalled and not known where to place him. He is kind and patient, ambitious and resourceful, creative, intelligent, brave, and loyal. Scorpius is all the things we want to be in the world. Now Rosie—"
"Uh oh," She says already anticipating the worst.
"Rosie, Rosie, Rosie...my cousin who is more than my cousin. You're more like my sister, but you were also a big fat liar. You pretended to hate Scorp for years, but you didn't. You fancied him as long as he fancied you. Uncle Ron," Albus searches the crowd and points at him, "I'm going to blame you for that." Ron shakes his head and points his finger in a scolding, yet joking, manner.
The best man relishes being the center of attention and continues public teasing the bride and groom, "Rose, don't even pretend. Like I didn't see those stolen glances across classrooms and hallways. It's funny that you didn't make a move until other girls started noticing him. Pol, babe, don't think I forgot about that."
In the audience, his girlfriend, who has swapped her blue hair for deep ebony, cringes, listening to him take the mick out of everyone.
"So jealous, you Weasleys are. Well, thankfully you finally saw how awesome Scorpius is, and Polly was left dating losers until dating me, King of the Losers."
"Cut it out, Al," Scorpius chimes in. "We all know you're cool. Stop pretending you're not."
"I'm English. Self-deprecation is second nature," the best man states dryly. "Alright, I'm not going to pick on Rose anymore. She's blood, I love her, and she married my best friend. This super weird bond the three of us share will be something I will forever cherish, and I'm happy to be your third wheel. I love you, Gryffindork and Slythernerd. Cheers." He raises his glass and takes a sip before hugging his best friend and cousin.
"You're such an arse," Rose whispered in his ear.
"I know, Rosie Posie, but you love it."
"I do, jerk."
—xoxox—
The rest of the evening is a blur—dancing, champagne, music, laughs, and family. The bride and groom couldn't be happier they decided to have a more intimate wedding. The band plays a slower tempo song and everyone couples up.
Ron and Padma find themselves next to Hermione and Draco. Ron nudges Draco in the arm and asks, "Fancy swapping partners for a while?"
"Sure," He says with a smile, removing his hand from Hermione's waist and presents her to her ex-husband.
Ron makes a similar motion and presents his date to his former nemesis.
The swap of dance partners is so fluid you would have thought it was choreographed. Hermione smiles at Ron and says, "Can you believe it?"
"No," he beams. "Our baby is married."
They both look over at her, smiling uncontrollably, wrapped in Scorpius's arms, her head on his chest.
"It feels like just yesterday she was telling us how gross and annoying boys are. Especially what a weirdo Scorpius Malfoy was," Hermione reminisces.
He replies, "We should have known that was code."
They both laugh, and her voice goes quiet. "Thank you, Ron."
"For what?"
"Everything. Being my friend when no one else was. Loving me. Protecting me. Giving me two amazing children and helping me raise them. Things weren't perfect, but they weren't all that bad either," She hugs him in appreciation.
Ron rubs her back. "You don't need to thank me for those things. That's what we were supposed to do. But if you insist, you're welcome."
Hermione looks into his eyes and is reminded how kind they are. "Aren't you glad we never renewed our vows? The price of weddings has become ridiculous!"
"What a waste of money that would have been! We still would have gotten divorced. Losing all that money? Yeah, I think that would have made me even more upset." They laugh again.—something they've been doing that a lot more. Gone are the pressures of a failing marriage, in its place, a lifelong friendship. "So you and Malfoy?"
"Yes?" She looks at her ex questioningly.
"You think you'll do this again?"
"Dancing?" she asks, dodging the question.
Ron furrows his eyebrows and gives her 'the look.' He knows the game she's playing. Instead of prodding her, he drawls, "Hermione…"
She scoffs, "Oh, I don't know. Not like this, that's for sure. I'm not even sure that's where this is going, but—"
"But?"
"I wouldn't say no."
Ron smirks, "I knew it."
Hermione rolls her eyes and changes the subject, "What about you and Padma?"
He shrugs, "We're taking things slow."
"How slow?" she said with excited curiosity coming over her.
"Well seeing that we weren't secretly in love with each other for a decade, pretty slow."
She swats him on the chest, "Prat. Come on. Honestly. Tell me something so I can be happy for you. I want to know you're doing good."
Ron smiles at his ex-wife. This was her in a nutshell. She still cared and wanted to make sure he was happy despite everything. He sighs, "We're casually dating. Her divorce is a bit messier than ours was, and it's taking longer. But there is the odd sleep over here and there."
"Really? And are you taking your—"
"No."
"But—"
"I guess it all came down to chemistry, and we didn't have it," he cringes jokingly. They both can laugh about it now that time has passed.
"Then I can be happy for you. Now speaking of our partners, where are they?" Hermione and Ron scan the room.
"Looks like your boyfriend dragged her over to the snake pit," He notices them talking to Theo, Daphne, Blaise, and Vivianna.
"She's a Claw. She can handle the snakes just fine. They're all softies now." She takes Ron's arm and walks toward them. "We just had lunch on Wednesday. Daphne and I were talking about her daughter, Arabella's wedding coming up next year. Vivianna is very sweet, but assimilating to the magical world is proving tough for her, especially dealing with a magically gifted toddler. He's already doing wandless summoning!"
"Bloody hell," Ron shakes his head, glad to be out of that stage of his life. He and Hermione reach the group and cozy up to their respective significant others.
"Hermione, I was just telling Blaise how gorgeous this wedding is and how I'm so upset he didn't reveal to me he was a wizard until after!" Vivianna mock pouted. Blaise quickly remedied it by giving her a kiss.
"Sorry, love. There were just too many muggles at our wedding. We couldn't have had a wedding like this. Statute of Secrecy and all that." Blaise lifts her chin up for another quick peck. Weddings always have the effect of making people more romantic than usual.
"Well, as beautiful as this wedding is, I'm already having anxiety," Theo huffs. "We hired another planner, and she's a nightmare. We're firing her tomorrow and paying Cho double. I want Arabella's wedding to go as smoothly as this one did."
"I feel absolutely terrible," Daphne chimes in, "I haven't been able to chime in since I've been overseeing the renovations. She and Pierre are still going back and forth from France. We must have a better planner."
"Well, you're not going to get a better one than Cho," Hermione states.
"Can I have everyone's attention please?" The bandleader's voice booms. "Can we please have all the unmarried ladies make their way to the dance floor?"
Daphne, Theo, and Blaise look at each other with the most mischievous grins, reminding Hermione that now matter how much older and mature they are, they're Slytherins through and through. Blaise points his champagne glass at Hermione, "That's you, Granger."
The adults snicker while she rolls her eyes and looks at them, "You can't be serious. What about Padma?"
"Technically, I'm still married. Sorry," she shrugs.
"I'm not doing this Drac—"
"Hermione Granger, get your arse up here!" the bride's fiery godmother calls.
"I'm going to fucking kill Ginny."
The group is now howling with laughter and push her away. She turns back to them with a scowl.
"Ready?" Rose calls to the crowd. She turns and hollers, "One! Two! Three!"
The bridal bouquet tumbles through the air, slows down, and gently lowers itself in front of Hermione's face since she wasn't reaching for it. She takes the flowers and whips her head back in Draco's direction. He tries to look innocent but does an abysmal job. His wand is still in his hand, and he pretends to look in another direction. The crowd hoots and hollers as the band leader announces the mother of the bride will be the next to be married.
Completely flushed with embarrassment, she points at Draco and curls her finger, calling him to her.
He points at his chest and says, "Who? Me?" trying to play coy.
"Yes, you."
Draco meanders over, keeping her waiting. She bites her bottom lip, trying to control her smile, but can't. He's doing that little eyebrow raise and smirk that drives her crazy.
"Am I in trouble?" Draco asks, licking his lips and grabbing her around the waist.
Hermione sighs as she throws her arms around his neck with the flowers in her hand. "Any particular reason you wanted me to catch the bouquet?"
"Roses and peonies are your favorites," he smirks.
"I swear. You and that smirk. Sometimes it's the most adorable thing, and sometimes I want to slap it off your face," she shakes her head. "Luckily for you, I think it's adorable right now. So you and I both know what this bouquet means. Are you saying that you want me to be the next to get married?"
"To me, yes. Anyone else, no."
"Are you asking me to marry you?"
He pretends to scoff, "At our children's wedding! No! That would be completely uncouth. I promise. When I do—notice that. I didn't say if. I said when—you're not going to expect it."
Her heart starts pounding, realizing the seriousness of his words, even though they are laced with humor and snark. She steadies her voice and says, "Don't keep me waiting another forty years, alright."
Draco rests his forehead to hers, already knowing what her answer will be. In sweet, hushed tones, he says, "Soon, my love. Very soon."
Hermione presses her lips to his, relishing this moment—knowing the promise of a lifetime of moments like this are on the horizon.
It's almost the end! Thank you again for reading. Please leave your comments, questions, or a review. I'm also on tumblr: harrypotterandthegobletofwine and Facebook: saintdionysuswriter.
XOXO,
SaintDionysus
