This chapter is dedicated to xXMiss Alec VolturiXx
All the beta love to Justjessie24601 & XsoullessXbeauty without them this wouldn't be possible.
The six men floo'd to the Greengrass residence as soon as Draco and Sirius had returned, they had gotten there with just twenty minutes to spare and Narcissa was running around in a frenzy reprimanding them for being late.
They soon took their places in or around the circle depending on where Narcissa was ordering them to be. Blaise waited outside of the circle, he was the only male of the group who wasn't going to be a part of the actual ceremony and had the luxury of just watching the magic unfolding from afar. He was soon joined by Ginny and Andromeda as they watched everyone else take their positions.
Tonk's stood in the centre of the circle with her wand ready as she waited for the ceremony to start while the others took their place.
There were seven points around the circle, four to represent the elements and three to represent the goddesses Hermione and Draco had chosen to influence their marriage. Sirius was going to represent Fire and so he stood at the spot designated for him where a stone with the fire rune was carved, sat marking his place. Around the circle there were six more stones like it with Runes or ancient greek pictures of the goddess they were symbolising as each person took their places. Narcissa was directly facing Sirius and was there to represent Water while Remus was taking the place as Wind and Luna, Earth. The Greengrass' had all been chosen to represent the goddesses, Willow was supposed to use her magic to bring Hera's influence into the bonding circle, the goddess of marriage. While Astoria was channeling Hecate, the goddess of childbirth, magic and witchcraft. And, naturally, Daphne was using her energy to call upon Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
Everyone was where they should be, Draco stood in the centre of the circle next to Tonks as they waited for Hermione to arrive on the arms of her brothers.
oOoOoOo
Harry knocked on Hermione's door softly before Theo opened it and they walked in to find Hermione pacing the room, practically wearing the carpet out. They shared a knowing smile with each other as they stood finely dressed in their new, robes that would have matched had one not chosen black and the other charcoal.
"You okay?" Harry asked as he realised Hermione hadn't looked up when they stepped into the room.
"What? Oh, yeah, fine just, fine. About to get married for life but everything is just fine."
"Say fine one more time" Theo challenged the witch.
"How much exactly have you drank?" Harry asked as he eyed the empty flask on the dressing table.
"It's not what you think," Hermione defended, "That was chamomile scotch, disgusting but it worked and now I've run out and I'm freaking out."
"What are you freaking out about?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow, he really didn't understand witches sometimes.
"What if he doesn't show up?" Hermione asked and gasped as the words came flying out of her mouth, her hands flew to her face as she admitted, out loud, what she had been worrying about.
"'Mione, the ferret is stood down there thinking the exact same about you." Theo pointed out.
"What? Why wouldn't I show up?" She asked, confusion etched on her face. "He's the one that could, that should be marrying above this she said as she made a gesture to herself.
Theo's eyes went wide as he took in the full situation. "You think he can do better?" He asked, trying to keep a straight face. "That Draco Malfoy, the son of a Death Eater, Draco Malfoy the Death Eater, could find a witch more beautiful, more powerful than Hermione Granger? That he could could find someone smarter? Prettier? More passionate, than you?"
Hermione made a sound that was inaudible as her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "Come on, I think it's time we got you to the bonding circle before you start biting those nails or something." Harry said.
"Just one thing before we go." Theo said as he pulled out a large box from one of the pockets on his robe. "We got you this, we wanted something that brought all our families together so we had this made" he said as he passed the box to Hermione.
Hermione opened the red velvet box to reveal a beautiful locket, her hands shook as she pulled it out and read the words 'Ad astra per aspera' "They're the Greengrass house words" Theo told her "they translate to 'through hardships to the stars' and I think that basically means us three, right?"
Hermione smiled as she opened the locket, there inside was a wizarding picture of the three of them together, she remembered it being taken over the Easter holidays but hadn't seen this one before. They looked so happy together, like a real family.
"Read the back" Harry encouraged as he gestured for her to turn the necklace over. Hermione did as she was bid and read the words 'artis et virtutis', her heart fluttering and nerves easing as her tears finally escaped. "That's the Potter house words, they mean 'courage and craft', so I'm told" Harry said with a playful roll of his eyes.
Hermione laughed lightly and started to unhook the pearl necklace that was already around her neck. "I guess I can take this one off now?" She asked as she placed the delicate pearls on the dresser. The pearls had been a symbol that she was Draco's, his intended though now she would have a ring on her hand that screamed those words louder than any necklace could have done. "You can, and I'll take these" Theo said as he slipped the two wedding rings off the chain. "Narcissa put the protective enchantments on them, right?" He asked as she watched him carefully put the two golden rings in his pocket.
"She did, they're all ready."
"I'll look after them, I promise. We're only going to the garden then you'll have them back okay?" She'd worn those rings since Valentines too, Draco had slipped them on her pearl necklace when he had given her it. They were her parents' rings and the last things she had left of them so letting them out of her sight no matter how short that time was was hard but knowing her and Draco were using them as their own wedding rings when they could have had their choice out of the fanciest of rings made her heart swell with pride. It had been Draco's idea and she had fallen in love with him all over again when he had asked her for the honour of wearing her father's ring. She'd bawled unceremoniously and rather unattractively all over him just at the thought but now as she watched Theo place them in his pocket her heart skipped a beat and suddenly she couldn't be married quick enough.
"Shall we go then?" Hermione asked after she wiped her tears away with a handkerchief, "Let's get this done" she said with a smile and started for the door.
oOoOoOo
The Greengrass' house wasn't the quaint family home Hermione had grown up in though neither was it as big as Malfoy Manor, though it was impressive in itself in size and stature and as Hermione walked through corridor after corridor with her two brothers hot on her heels it was as though she was seeing just how big it was for the first time as each step she took closer the the circle still felt to her like she was a million miles away.
Eventually, after nearly ten minutes of walking through the house and after even slipping her shoes off so she could walk faster, Hermione arrived at the doors to the gardens. It was night time now and everything was lit up beautifully as real live faeries had been fixed in place with sticking charms around every tree possible. The night sky was it up just as equally as the stars glowed brightly, white roses were draped around every surface and an archway complete with flowers and faeries was waiting for her to walk through and signal her arrival.
There were a couple of tables all pushed together and dressed so well that Hermione would have thought she had hired a wedding planner for the whole thing. Faeries sat in jars on the table and glowed brightly as flower centrepieces sat in the middle of each table and ivory tableclothes covered the surfaces while four different knives, forks and spoons sat at each table place that was labeled with a plaque and had their names written in artistic script. Glasses were already brimming with champagne on a table set to the side though Hermione wasn't sure she could drink anything else just yet.
After her eyes had scanned through everything else from the dance floor that had been set up with a muggle stereo and a bar that was fully stocked with every drink she could imagine from cocktails to beer. It was really a wonder how all of this had come together with so little time, she knew she had a lot to thank Willow and Narcissa for.
She pulled in a deep breath then as she walked up to the archway and waited as Harry and Theo set themselves either side of her before she linked an arm in each of theirs and they all stepped over the threshold.
Claire De Lune was being magically played from a piano that had been set to one side and spelled to continue the song softly throughout the ceremony as Hermione followed the pathway set out and finally came into view with the bonding circle.
Her breath hitched as her eyes met Draco's for the first time that day, she could almost see the nerves dissipating from his body as their eyes connected and his body sagged just the smallest amount while he braced himself to watch her walk forward. One foot in front of the other 'Mione she thought to herself as she took another breath to steady herself.
She walked, slowly but surely as it took all of her will to stop herself from just pulling up her dress and running down to the circle.
Finally they arrived, her smile was anything but forced as Draco came closer and closer to her reach and as they stepped over the circle that had been drawn Hermione was suddenly hit with a gust of magic energy that made her skin prickle in goosebumps. Six more steps and they were stood next to Draco, Theo and Harry each kissed her on the cheek before moving to take their own positions as witnesses.
Finally it was just her and Draco and, as he took her hands in his the last of her nerves were gone, their eyes held each other as Tonks cleared her throat playfully.
"Who brings this wizard to this witch?" She asked, getting right to the point.
"I, Theodore of House Nott bring this man, Draco of House Malfoy to this witch." Theo said as he raised his wand towards the couple and golden sparks shot out.
"And who brings this witch to this wizard?" Tonks asked again.
"I, Harry of House Potter bring this witch, Hermione of Houses, Granger, Greengrass and Potter to this man." Harry said as he followed Theo's lead and golden sparks shot from his wand towards the couple before him.
"You may say your vows" Tonks said to the pair as she also held out her wand to the couple's entwined hands.
"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close." Draco whispered as his own golden light shot from the wand held in his enclosed fist and wrapped around Hermione's hand in his.
"I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul." Hermione finished, her own golden light wrapping around Draco's hand.
"Above you are the stars, below you are the stones. As time passes remember...Like a star should your love be constant, like the Earth should your love be firm. Like Fire should your love always burn, like the wind should it be free and, like Water should your love flow.
Possess one another yet be understanding. Have patience with one another for storms will come but will quickly pass. Be free in the giving of affection and of warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways or words of the unlightened give you unease, for there is no greater magic on this world than two people joined together in love so by the power given to me by the Ministry of Magic I now declare you bonded for life." Tonks said, shouting the last of her small speech out so the few guests not in the circle could still hear her and, when she was done a final golden ribbon of light shot from her wand and joined the other four where they all merged into one.
There were three tense seconds as the ribbons didn't move nor do anything until all of a sudden they melded into one larger ribbon and wrapped tightly around Hermione and Draco as their future together was sealed.
Hermione threw both arms around her new husband and kissed him soundly as their friends and family clapped and applauded while the new magic was thick in the air.
oOoOoOo
Narissa left the ceremony right after the kiss, and, while everyone else was congratulating the couple she apparated home to check the freezing spell on the tapestry had worked. It took her half an hour to make her way through the wards and into the room designated solely to the embroidered family tree and with each passing minute her anxiety rose higher and higher but, as she stepped over the threshold of the room and her eyes sought of where she knew Draco's branch was held here eyes were met with nothing but his name. She felt instant relief as she moved nearer, intent of seeing it up close with her on eyes so she could relay back to Draco that he and his new wife were free to carry on as they were. She apparated back to Willow Gardens a few minutes later after she warded the room again and let her son and new daughter know of the development, they were ecstatic and soon a drink was in everybody's hands as they celebrated.
The first dance was of course to the song Say Goodnight And Go that had quickly become the pairs favourite after Hermione had introduced it to Draco on their first date. They took to the floor in a mass of giggles after a few too many glasses of champagne and twirled their way around the dancefloor with each other for nearly five whole songs until Theo and Luna, who had joined them sometime during the third song, cut the pair up and Hermione took to dancing with Theo while Draco was left with Luna.
"You look so happy" Theo mused as he carted her through spin after spin, he'd been raised to be able to make even the worst dancer look good on the dancefloor so the fact Hermione had had a bit to drink was no problem for him.
"I am Theo." Hermione said in her 'big sister' voice as she kissed to top of his head, they made it through their dance before he was pulling her away to rest and the meal was called by the elves.
It was a good job everyone was hungry because the elves had prepared no less than seven courses for the wedding guest and though half of them had no idea which fork to use when it still managed to go down quite well. Draco hissed at Harry and Ginny to work from the outside in and before long everyone was stuffed full of the delicious meal and exqusite wine that had been served alongside it.
oOoOoOo
Sirius had spent most of the night dancing with Willow and the occasional dance with Astoria as he tried the lighten the girls mood, she was still the sullen girl Hermione had first met that day back in the Easter holidays but she was certainly warming up to her new cousin now, It was obvious she just didn't much like change and hadn't been at all impressed to find out her mother had kept such a secret from them for all of those years and, while Daphne had taken everything in her stride and Hermione under her wing Astoria had stayed defensive, protecting herself lest she get hurt. It had only been three years since she had buried her father and she still wasn't quite over that, she wasn't sure she could lose another family member but as time went on, month after month, week after week she saw Hermione was becoming a permanent fixture in their lives and decided to ease up a little on the witch, they were, after all, family.
Sirius eventually let the girls alone and headed for the bar, he took himself a healthy three fingers of firewhiskey before drinking the glass down and approaching Narcissa, it was time he made amends with his cousin. If not for anything but the sake of Hermione, they were family twice over now and that was hard to ignore.
"Cissa," He said with a curt nod to his cousin who was sat with her sister. He'd been pleasantly surprised to find out the two witches had actually been in contact for more than a decade now, his and Bellatrix's imprisonments had forced Narcissa to seek out the only family she had left. She had offered her sister an olive branch and Andromeda had readily accepted and before long to two formed a new, converted relationship. "Care for a dance?" He asked as he stretched his palm out the the witch and bowed slightly. He was not quite drunk just yet, he'd had enough to know he knew what he was doing and yet enough, at the same time, to pretend it was the drink talking if she refused his advances but as it was, with love and magic in the air, Narcissa agreed and before long the two were out waltzing everyone while Andromeda watched on with a gleeful look in her eyes.
oOoOoOo
Harry had danced with everyone, even Narcissa Malfoy - twice. But now he was sat at the table taking a minute to get his breath back, Remus and Tonks were lost in their own little newlywed world while Draco and Hermione swayed close by them, Sirius and Narcissa were waltzing away and Theo and Luna were doing some awful rendition of 'the robot' that he couldn't stop laughing at. Ginny was off with Blaise somewhere and he was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed someone sitting beside him. "Hey" Willow said as she passed a glass of water Harry's way, "Having a nice night?"
"It's been really nice." Harry admitted, "Hermione looks like she's had the time of her life."
"I think she has"
"What about you?"
"What about me?" Harry asked.
"You look deep in thought over here, I thought I would come and save you from whatever it is." Willow joked.
"I was just thinking of that letter I got, from your sister."
"Oh? How so?"
"I thought," Harry said as he took a sip of the water, it wasn't like Sirius hadn't allowed him to drink, he had and Harry had taken full advantage of the fact, he was seventeen in two days after all so it wasn't that much of a deal to begin with but Willow had been right, it was water he needed right now. "That trying to be Theo's brother was a ridiculous thing to ask." He admitted as he watched the man in question laughing at something Luna was doing.
"And now?" Willow asked as she sipped her own drink.
"And now I find myself thinking of him as a brother already, four months down the line. Robyn was right we share a sister and we have to protect one another. That includes Theo too. And now, apparently Malfoy. " He said with a grit of his teeth and a roll of his eyes.
"You and Draco don't get on."
"Well, they say first impressions are everything and ours, well, it wasn't great." He admitted.
"I'm sure it's not that bad" Willow offered.
"It's not, not really. He loves 'Mione I can see that, that's all that matters. I have to put my petty school boy rivalry behind me, as Hermione likes to call it." Harry said with a smile.
"Come on," Wilow said as she stood.
"Where are we going?"
"To dance"
oOoOoOo
"If there's anything you want to do, do it now because we're leaving soon." Draco whispered into Hermione's hair.
"Leaving?" she asked, confusion evident.
"Yes, leaving. We're not staying here tonight and besides, I've got something I want to show you."
Hermione kissed Draco then, "Go and have one last dance with your mother then. I want to see Theo and Harry before we leave." She said as she stepped away.
Hermione walked over to the muggle stereo and flicked through the songs that they had before finding the one she wanted, Ben E King, Stand By Me and, as it was getting ready to play she tugged her two brother into the centre of the dance floor for one last dance.
They shook their hips and swayed to the beautiful music, a song about a group of children forming an unbreakable bond that was on a film she'd made them watch when Daphne had roped her mother into buying a muggle TV. Hermione clung to each of the boys as she wrapped her arms around them and tears flowed freely "I love you two so much" she said when the song was ending, "promise me, promise me that no matter what happens with this war that we will always be a family. Us three, together. And if something happens to one of us-"
"Nothing will hap-"
"Don't talk like-"
"-shut up and listen, if something happens promise me you won't abandon each other."
Theo and a hardy both looked at their sister and then to each other "we promise" they said with a small nod to one another that Hermione know meant they truly meant it and then she had pulled them both into a huge hug and was sobbing all over them.
The three stood like that even after the song ended, it took Draco tearing a sobbing Hermione away to finally break them up.
