* ~ The Eighth Year Universe Series ~ *
PART FOUR
Brave New World
Chapter 93: I Will Never Stop Choosing You
A/N: The chapter title is from the song:
Never Stop by Safetysuit.
* ~ 23rd December 2000 ~ *
Arundel Castle, West Sussex
"Still can't believe you're getting married in a fricking library, man."
"Theo," Harry hissed, "Do you really think that's helpful right now?"
"I'm distracting him from his nerves!" Theo whispered.
Draco swallowed a lump in his throat as he stared out at the guests.
"Good luck with that," Rob remarked.
"Rob, shut up," Harry said sternly, "The deal was that you be a groomsman, you stand there quietly, and then you get free booze. There was nothing about sarcastic remarks."
"Not even in the small print?" Rob joked.
"There was no small print," Neville whispered from Rob's other side.
"I feel so outnumbered, Theo," Draco whispered to his best friend, "Most of these people are Hermione's family or friends. I mean…I fought against most of the people in this room in the war."
Theo nodded thoughtfully, "Oh yeah, you did, actually."
Draco began to panic, "Why would their heroine marry me? Oh, sweet Salazar, it's all been a trick, hasn't it? She's not going to show up."
"Yep," Harry said dryly, "It's all an elaborate joke. I don't even like you, and she still hates you. She just bought a house with you and threw thousands of galleons at this wedding for a fucking laugh."
Rob raised an eyebrow at the younger man, "Have I been rubbing off on you?"
"Wolfe, zip it!" Harry hissed irritably.
"Oh, and you've been taking lessons from Lizzie, apparently."
Neville rolled his eyes and silenced Rob. He shrugged and mouthed something that looked like 'fair enough'.
"Draco, get a grip," Harry whispered, "She is going to come because she loves you. The past is the past. Leave it there and stop trying to drag it into the present. She loves you for who you are now, not who you were then, and that is why she will be here."
Theo frowned, "I kind of feel like I should have said that. It sounds like a best man kind of thing to say."
"Yeah, it was, but you were being a dick," Harry said irritably, "So man up and start being a decent best man. And if any of you idiots ruin my best friend's wedding day for her, I will not hesitate to hex your arses across the Atlantic. Okay?"
"Sir, yes sir," Theo said, doing a mock salute, "Mr future Head Auror, sir."
Rob shook his head in amusement.
"Yeah," Draco said, he swallowed hard and nodded, "Sorry for the moment of self-doubt."
"It's fine. We all have it but not normally at the altar," Harry said, shooting Draco an amused look, "Trust you to be the dramatic one."
Draco chuckled weakly then the piece of music that Hermione had chosen to walk down the aisle to began to play.
Harry dropped back into his place next to Neville as the large doors opened and the bridal party walked into the library. It was a beautiful venue for a wedding with its high roof and four walls lined with ancient books. A red carpet had been used to create an aisle, and the area had been filled with chairs for the guests.
Ginny walked in first, wearing the dress that Hermione had chosen for the bridesmaids. It was long and figure-hugging, comprised entirely of golden sequins. Her long red hair had been left down and curled, and she wore a golden wreath in her hair. Being the confident woman that she was, Ginny smiled broadly at everyone as she walked down the aisle to take her place in the front row on Hermione's side of the library.
Once she sat down, Blanche passed Hope over to her from the row behind. The little girl squealed excitedly to be with her mum once more. She then reached up and tried to grab the wreath from her head.
Daphne stepped in next. Like Ginny, confidence wasn't an issue for her. She smiled at the guests and blew Teddy a kiss which caused a loud shout of, "Mummy!" and a roll of the eyes on Narcissa's part, "Shh Teddy."
"Or we will be forced to silence you," Cygnus warned him.
Astoria rolled her eyes from her spot beside him, "Dad! You can't silence a toddler!"
"Watch me," Cygnus muttered, "I did it to your bloody sister often enough."
From Astoria's other side, Charlie couldn't hold back his snigger.
Daphne looked stunning in the dress and wreath. Harry grinned and whispered to Neville, "And to think she kicked off about the dress when she first tried it on."
Neville chuckled as he recalled the moment Hermione had unveiled the dresses.
"It's golden."
"Yeah!" Hermione had said excitedly as she bounced on her heels in the drawing-room of 12 Grimmauld Place.
"No," Daphne said with a shake of her head, "It's not a little touch of gold Hermione, it is golden."
"Yes," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at Daphne, "Since it's a Christmas wedding, there will be lots of gold and silver."
Daphne looked at the dress distastefully.
Harry shot Neville an amused look while this played out.
"This is the wreath to go with it," Hermione added, showing them all the golden wreath, "And I thought if we all curled our hair-"
"You want me to wear a golden dress and a golden wreath? What is this wedding? A bloody sacrificial offering to Godric bleeding Gryffindor?"
"Daphne," Harry cut in, "Now, it's Hermione's wedding, and as her friend and one of the bridesmaids, you have to respect her choice-"
"It's a golden dress, Harry!"
"Yeah, you can pull it off though, Daph," Neville said.
Daphne raised an eyebrow at him, "What did you just say?"
"You can pull anything off," Harry said quickly, "You'll look like a phoenix."
"A hot phoenix," Neville added.
"Watch it, Longbottom," Lilly warned.
"Just trying to keep the peace," Neville whispered.
"Why can't I wear silver if it's a silver and gold wedding?" Daphne asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Because….well, you can't wear silver while everyone else wears gold," Hermione said with a frown.
"Fine, put Sadie and I in silver then. That's two and two, nice and symmetrical, and Sadie will agree with me that silver is better than gold. Right Sade?" Daphne looked at her friend.
Sadie made a face, "Um…honestly Hermione, it's your wedding, so I'll just go with whatever you want."
"Traitor," Daphne muttered irritably.
Sadie raised an eyebrow at Daphne, "No, I'm just not acting like a spoiled princess like you are."
"Princess?" Daphne scoffed, "Queen, please."
"Come on, Daphne," Neville said, "Theo didn't put up a fight about having to wear gold dress robes, did he?"
"Draco did," Harry sniggered.
"You said you loved them!" Hermione exclaimed, glaring at her fiancé.
"Well, I do now," Draco said. He glared at Harry, "I might have had a little…wobble…though."
"A little wobble?" Harry snorted, "You said you felt like she was stripping your identity away and turning you into a Ron clone who would love Godric Gryffindor and do everything that she said."
Hermione's jaw dropped, "You said that?"
"No, I didn't say that!" Draco's glare intensified, "I said that maybe gold wasn't my colour, but if it made you happy, I would wear it. Honestly, you need to get that lunatics head checked. I reckon that scar is making him fucking crazy."
"You could have just told me that you didn't like them," Hermione said irritably.
"I could have, but you would have just told me that I had to wear them anyway. Wouldn't you?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well…yes, probably."
"Exactly, so what would have been the point?" Draco shrugged.
Hermione rolled her eyes and looked over at Daphne, irritation shining in her eyes now.
"What? I'm with Draco on this one. You are stripping us of our identity Hermione. I feel objectified actually," Daphne said matter of factly.
Neville rolled his eyes.
Theo remained silent because he was still pissing himself with laughter in the corner of the room.
"It's for one night," Harry said calmly, "Nobody is going to think that just because you wear a gold dress once, you're not the Slytherin ice queen anymore, okay?"
"And if it bothers you that much, you can change for the reception," Hermione compromised.
"Deal," Daphne said with a smirk.
"Bloody Slytherins," Hermione muttered, shooting a glare Draco's way.
"Don't give me that look. I broke up with her years ago," Draco said, raising his hands in defeat, "She's Harry's problem now."
Harry smiled in amusement at the memory then Lilly walked in next. The golden wreath stood out far more in her dark red hair. She smiled at Neville and sat down next to the other bridesmaids in the front row.
Sadie walked down the aisle next. She wore the same dress and wreath as the bridesmaids, but she didn't hold herself as confidently as they did. She waved nervously at Theo and smiled at Narcissa and Cygnus as she walked past. The two of them had been lumped with the twins and Teddy. Although, at the moment, it looked like Teddy was being the more difficult one.
"Why does she think I don't want to shag her anymore? She's a total MILF," Theo whispered.
Harry and Neville snorted in amusement, but Draco just watched the door nervously.
At that point, Hermione walked into the library with her dad. John smiled tearfully at his wife, and Harry frowned, suddenly realising that Hermione's parents were also called John and Elizabeth. He would have dwelled on that weird coincidence for longer if it weren't for the fact that he was focusing on his best friend.
She looked happy, and she looked stunning. Hermione hadn't opted for a plain white dress because she had thought it was too traditional and boring. Instead, she wore a white ballgown with lace sleeves embroidered with beautiful pastel pink roses with golden stems. She had left her hair down and curled it, wearing a golden wreath like her bridesmaids. Her wreath was more elaborate because it also contained pearls and pink enamelled roses.
She smiled at Draco as she walked down the aisle towards him, and Draco let out a breath that he hadn't realised that he was holding.
When she reached the altar, her father lifted her veil then sat down with Hermione's Mother and the bridesmaids in the front row.
"Hey," Draco said quietly.
"Hey," Hermione said, smiling nervously at him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," The wizard conducting the ceremony said in a very deep voice, "We are gathered here today in this beautiful library to witness the marriage and binding for life of Draco Abraxas Black and Hermione Jean Granger."
Hermione and Draco continued to stare at each other, both too nervous to look out at the crowd.
"Today Draco and Hermione will bind their lives and magic together," The little wizard continued, "But before we begin. I must ask if any man, or woman, can show just cause as to why these two may not be wed. Let him speak now or forever hold his peace."
He paused momentarily, and when nobody said anything, he then continued, "Ah, good. Now that we have gotten that part out of the way. Do you, Draco Abraxas Black, and you, Hermione Jean Granger, promise to comfort, honour, protect and be faithful to each other for as long as you both may live?"
"I do," Hermione said.
"I do," Draco said at the same time.
"Then I would ask you to give your vows to one another," The little man said. He smiled and took a step back.
Draco took a shaky breath and went first, "Hermione, you know that I struggle to express my feelings at the best of times, let alone in front of all of our family and friends, but I will try to do the best I can."
Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand. Draco took another breath, "I want to thank you today. I want to thank you for making me a better person. You saw good in me when everyone else saw bad. You saw the light in me when everyone else saw darkness. You believed in me when everyone else saw a failure. Without you, I would not be the man I am today, and for the first time in my life, I am proud of that man, so thank you for loving me, especially when doing so wasn't easy. I promise to repay you for that, for the rest of our lives."
Hermione swallowed and wiped away a stray tear. Then she took a deep breath and said her vows, "Draco, thank you for fighting for me when everyone else tried to break us apart. Some people wanted to protect me from you, people who didn't see what I saw back then. I know you think that I make you a better person, but you have changed me too," her smile widened, "Entirely for the better. We had to overcome a lot of challenges, our cultures clashed and our personalities sometimes too."
A small chuckle came from their friends at these words.
"But every day, you challenge me and spur me on, you make me stronger, and you make me better," Hermione said, squeezing his hand, "You made me question everything in my life. You made me re-evaluate my perception of good and bad, light and evil, right and wrong. All of that made me better, and I love you for it. I promise that I will always remember how raw our love was at this moment, even when we are old and boring like the rest of our friends."
Another chuckle went around their friends at this.
Even the little wizard conducting the ceremony chuckled, "Do you, Draco Abraxas Black, take Hermione Jean Granger to have and to hold from this day forward? For better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"
"I do," Draco said, his voice breaking for the first time.
"And do you, Hermione Jean Granger, take Draco Abraxas Black to have and to hold from this day forward? For better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"
"I do," Hermione said, tears shining in his eyes.
Theo smiled tearfully and stepped forward with the rings. He handed Draco a ring first. It was Hermione's diamond and ruby-encrusted wedding band.
"Place the ring on Hermione's finger, please, Draco," The little man said.
Draco did so, his hands shaking as he slid it into place.
Theo then handed Hermione's a ring; this one was Draco's simple golden band.
"And Hermione, please place the ring on Draco's finger," The wizard said.
Hermione's hands shook far more than Draco's had as she slid the ring onto his finger.
The little wizard smiled and took a step back, "Now please hold hands and face each other for the binding of your magic."
Draco and Hermione did so, looking at each other with a mixture of nerves and excitement.
The little wizard cast the charm, and a purple glow surrounded the couple.
"You are now bound in body and in soul," The little wizard said cheerfully, "You may now kiss the bride!"
Draco smiled and leant down, capturing Hermione's lips in a chaste kiss while their friends and family all cheered and applauded.
"What does purple mean?" Harry asked the others in a whisper.
"Dignity, pride and success," Theo smiled, "Appropriate for those two."
Harry smiled too, "Yeah, it is," he agreed.
The wedding reception was at 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione had agonised for weeks on where to have the reception but had concluded that it had to be in a wizarding home because the statute of secrecy would get broken if they chose a muggle venue. Mostly because of people like Theo and the Weasley's. Harry and Daphne had offered up Potter Manor for the night, but Hermione had said that she would rather use her own home.
And, it scrubbed up beautifully. The drawing-room was big enough for their relatively small wedding party, but the seats had been crammed in a little for the food. It would be far less crowded once the speeches were finished and it was turned into a dance floor, though.
The gold and silver theme carried on into the house. There were silver ice sculptures that shimmered. The food was served on golden and silver platters. It was all very classy and very pureblood.
"Daph," Harry said as he and his wife hovered by the head table, "Do you think I should go and relieve your dad and Cissa?"
Daphne looked over to her father and Narcissa, who were struggling to contain Teddy. She smiled in amusement and said, "It's kind of funny."
"Stop punishing them for getting together," Draco said.
"Oh, come on, like you were happy about it," Daphne snorted.
"He's right, though. We shouldn't subject them to Teddy when they were already kind enough to offer to watch the twins," Harry said with a slight smile.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Daphne admitted, "Go and grab the little rascal."
Harry chuckled and crossed the room to do so. The moment Teddy saw him, he shouted, "Daddy!" and ran into his arms. Harry picked the little boy up, and Cygnus sighed in relief, "Thank you, Harry. That boy spends too much time with his mother. He is exactly like she was at that age."
"What's that then, a handful?" Harry joked.
"Oh, he's just excitable," Astoria said, blowing a kiss at Teddy, "Aren't you, little guy?"
"Toria," Teddy said, reaching out for his Aunt.
"Come here," Astoria said, sitting him down on her lap.
Cygnus rolled her eyes, "Prefers the women that one."
"I'm just his favourite," Astoria smirked.
"You're only his favourite cause you've been feeding him cake," Charlie retorted, nudging her in the ribs playfully.
Harry laughed at the interplay between the couple, and at that point, the speeches began.
Hermione's father stood up and clinked his spoon against a glass. The room gradually fell silent, and Mr Granger smiled out at them all, "Hello everyone, thank you all for taking the time and effort to come today. I appreciate that it wasn't easy for everyone because my daughter insisted on a Christmas wedding," he shot Hermione an amused look.
"He makes a good point," Theo whispered.
"Shut up, Theo," Hermione hissed along the table.
Draco laughed as Hermione's father continued, "As I am sure you can imagine, the first time I heard the name 'Draco' I never imagined that would be the name of my future son-in-law. You will all know that Hermione and Draco didn't exactly hit it off straight away."
This caused a chuckle to go around, and Harry snorted in amused agreement.
"But as the years went on, we began to have our suspicions," Mr Granger continued with a smile, "When Hermione came home from her fourth year talking about how Draco had bested her scores, she made a throwaway remark about how they could have been good friends if he wasn't such a, and I'm quoting here, Snakey little wanker."
Hermione let her head drop into her hands at that point while Theo burst out laughing. Draco grinned at his wife, "Snakey little wanker?"
"Shut up. I was 15!"
"Yeah, when you were 15, you hung out in trees for hours, just so you could look cool insulting the Gryffindors when they walked past," Theo said with an amused grin.
"You," Draco pointed at Theo, "Shut up."
"Nah, just save it for the speech," Harry whispered with a grin.
"Then Hermione came home from fifth year, and it was all rather negative again," Mr Granger continued, "But after sixth year, the entire summer she would not shut up about Draco and how she wondered if Draco was okay, and how she wouldn't ever get to find out because she wasn't going to go back to school. And how she hoped he wasn't dead, but if he was, she would have found out probably because surely the Prophet would have printed it. We found it a bit suspicious considering she had told us for the past six years that she hated this boy," he finished.
Draco smiled slightly as Mr Granger carried on, "But anyway, that was then, and this is now. All any father wants is somebody good enough for his little girl," at this Hermione blushed, "And I truly believe that Draco is. From my perspective, it takes someone pretty special to take a look at themselves when they are 18 and not like who they see in the mirror then to decide to change who they are. So Draco, you are okay in my book, and you are welcome to play golf with me any time or join me at the lake any Sunday you feel like."
Mr Granger raised his glass and said, "To Draco and Hermione."
Everyone else made a toast, and Draco whispered, "Why does he want me to go to a lake with him?"
"Fishing Draco, he means you can go fishing with him," Hermione whispered back.
"Fishing?"
"I'll explain later," Hermione murmured.
"What's golf again?" Theo asked Draco quietly.
"The one with the ball," Draco replied.
"What one? Lots of them have balls!"
"The one with the big wooden bat and the ball," Draco answered in a whisper.
"No, Draco, that's cricket," Harry said in amusement, "I'll show you guys what golf is one day, but right now, you need to stand up and give your speech."
"Don't remind me," Draco said nervously as he got to his feet.
"I would like to join Hermione's father in thanking everyone for coming," Draco began as he smiled at Mr Granger, "And in turn, thank him for his kind words. I want to thank everyone who made this day possible. Thank you to Hermione's wonderful Matron of Honour, Sadie, who made sure Hermione picked a venue in time and who kept the day on track. Nobody else could have put up with Hermione's control-freak temper tantrum last night, Sade."
Sadie laughed while Hermione rolled her eyes and cursed Draco under her breath.
Draco just smirked and continued, "Thank you to the lovely bridesmaids, Lilly, Daphne and Ginny, for supporting Hermione. I would also like to thank my mother and her partner Cygnus for performing babysitting duties excellently throughout the ceremony. I would especially like to congratulate you for managing to control yourself and not silence Teddy, Cygnus. I've babysat that boy enough to know the struggle."
This caused a wave of laughter to go around the drawing-room.
"I have to take this moment to thank my groomsmen, Harry, Neville and Rob. Rob, thank you for showing up. That's about as much as I expected of you. Harry, thanks for knocking a bit of sense into me when I had a panic about Hermione showing up and Neville; thanks for silencing Rob and leaving it on. That's possibly the best thing you've done since you beheaded that snake!"
"Hear hear!" Jennifer shouted from the table where she was sitting with an amused Elizabeth and John, who was beside himself with laughter while Rob sulked next to him.
"And thank you to my best man Theo, for standing by my side on the most important day of my life," Draco clapped Theo on the shoulder and smiled, "You've been by my side from the start, so it wouldn't have felt right to have anyone else with me today."
Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Hermione in exasperation, "Which one did you marry, Draco?"
"Watch it, scarhead," Theo retorted.
Draco chuckled and looked over at Hermione, "And lastly, but most importantly, I would like to thank Hermione for agreeing to marry me. I can assure you all that she is not under any imperius charms. I've not altered her memory. She just, for some inexplicable reason, loves me despite my many flaws. I never thought the day would come when I would call her my wife, but I am very proud to be able to do so."
Hermione smiled tearfully as Draco raised his glass, "To my beautiful wife, Hermione."
"To Hermione," They all toasted.
Draco sat down and looked warily at Theo as he got to his feet. He grinned and clapped his hands together, "Oh, I have waited my whole life for this moment! Hello everyone! Welcome to the wedding. This is the kind of wedding where you are all sitting there right now going, has this actually happened or am I in a parallel world? Some of you will then just throw that thought away like, of course, this is real, silly me! But others will actually think into it and be like, right…are they actually getting married? Because I remember her punching him in the face really hard…and he hugged Voldemort. That happened too, right? Then you conclude, yep, must be a parallel world."
Hermione slapped herself in the face.
Draco let his head drop onto the table.
The rest of the wedding party found it bloody hilarious.
"But no! By some miracle, this is really happening!" Theo continued enthusiastically, "Hermione Granger; muggle-born, Gryffindor Princess, Feminist, Creatures Rights Activist. Let's not forget that time she told us all to spew for house-elves."
"S.P.E.W!" Hermione exclaimed irritably.
Theo just grinned down at her and continued, "And Draco Malfoy, Black now but always Malfoy in our hearts, am I right?"
"In yours maybe," Neville snorted, getting a round of applause.
"Oh shut up, Longbottom, this is my moment," Theo said as he carried on, "Draco Malfoy, pureblood, Slytherin Prince, definitely not a feminist, and pretty much didn't give a shit about creatures rights. I mean, let's not forget this is the guy who got viciously attacked by a Hippogriff because, well, basically because he was a bit of a bellend."
Draco banged his head off of the table rather loudly.
This, of course, just spurred Theo on, "It was hardly a match made in heaven, was it? We were all there to witness it. He insulted her, Ron tried to protect her and threw up slugs for a week. Thanks for taking one for the team there, Ron, that gave us months of entertainment. We pissed ourselves every time we saw a slug!"
Ron just gave Theo the middle finger while Harry had to try and hide the fact that he was laughing at his friend's expense.
"And as I mentioned earlier, there was that time she punched him in the face, and he cried like a baby," Theo said with a grin, "He wouldn't shut up about it afterwards, though. He kept banging on about how hot it was that she was so strong and empowered, but that was that."
Hermione smirked a little at that.
"The number of times she insulted him or bested him, and he exclaimed, my father, will hear about this!" Theo screeched in a terrible impersonation of Draco, "Of course his father never did hear about it because why would he want to hear about the fact that Draco was in love with an infuriating muggle-born? His mother heard about it though. Poor Narcissa had to pour through at least three letters a week with whole page long rants about Hermione Granger. Am I right, Narcissa?"
Narcissa chuckled and replied, "You are right, Theodore."
"Mother!" Draco exclaimed.
Hermione grinned and sat up a little straighter, "Carry on, Theo, I'm starting to enjoy this."
"So am I," Harry sniggered.
Theo grinned broadly, "Anyway, time passed, and a snake faced bastard tried to take over the world and failed, thanks to our golden hero right here," he gestured at Harry, "With his trusty best pal Ron and his plucky sidekick Neville. And our darling Hermione here as the brains of the operation because, let's face it, those three had no bloody idea what they were doing."
"And then alas we returned to dear old Hogwarts," Theo said theatrically, "Where once more the sparks began to fly, but romantically with much more sexual tension," he waggled his eyebrows.
Harry muttered, "Oh, dear God."
"But a lot changed that year," Theo said, the tone suddenly became far more serious, "And entirely for the better. Draco wouldn't be the man he is today without Hermione's calming, positive influence and Hermione wouldn't be anywhere near as snarky without Draco's influence, so all in all, things turned out well for them."
There was another round of laughter.
"But the main thing is that they love each other," Theo said with a smile, "And I don't just mean they like each other a lot and therefore feel they can settle down. This isn't a pureblood marriage; nobody is doing this because it's enough or it's okay to settle. They love each other the way that two people are supposed to. It's a blind, reckless love, the sort that consumes you. So cheers to Draco and Hermione!"
Everyone was stunned by the romantic, profound note that Theo had ended that on. But they all raised their glasses and toasted the newlyweds all the same.
"I'll forgive the rest of the speech because of the ending," Draco said, smiling genuinely at his best friend.
"Thought you might," Theo said, patting him on the back, "I was going to put in this epic quote about how the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb, but Neville said it was too much."
"What does it even mean?" Draco asked.
Sadie smiled, "That the relationships formed by choice are stronger than those formed by birth."
Draco smiled too, "That's deep, Theo."
"Yeah, well, it's your wedding. When else am I going to tell you that I love you?" Theo said, partly in jest but with a serious undertone.
"I love you too, mate," Draco murmured, hugging his best friend tightly.
"I thought we didn't do hugs," Theo said as he hugged him back.
"Shut up. I'm the godfather to your kids now. It's gotten domestic and sappy," Draco said as he released him, "So we do hugs now."
Hermione shook her head in amusement and grabbed Draco's hand, "The speech was unconventional but very you, and ultimately quite sweet Theo."
"Why, thank you," Theo said, and he did a bow.
"Come on," Harry said with a chuckle as he ushered Daphne over, "We better clear out so the elves can turn the room around. Daph now is as good a time as any to nip home and change."
Daphne blew out a relieved sigh, "Thank goodness, I was just about converted," she joked, shooting Hermione a grin, "I thought I was about to start worshipping Godric Gryffindor."
Hermione shook her head in amusement, "You are impossible!"
Daphne kissed her cheek and blew out of the room.
Harry shook his head at the little boy in his arms, "Your Mummy is so high maintenance, Teddy."
"But she's amazing in the bedroom," Theo said, covering Teddy's ears, "That's why Daddy keeps her around."
Harry shrugged Theo's hands off of Teddy's ears, "That is not why I keep her around. But while we're on the subject of kids, I reckon you should relieve Narcissa of yours."
"What are you talking about?" Theo asked with a grin, "Mine have been little angels all day. It's yours who was a pain in the butt."
"Terrible twos are rough, aren't they, Ted?" Harry said, ruffling his hair.
Teddy just yawned in response.
"Mione," Harry called over the noise of everyone leaving the drawing-room, "I'm going to take Teddy to Andi's now that the meal is over. I'll be back before the cake cutting and the first dance."
"No problem, Harry," Hermione said, kissing Teddy on the cheek, "Thanks for coming, little guy."
Draco smiled and ruffled Teddy's hair, "See you later, little man."
Teddy yawned again, so Harry chuckled and left the house with him.
"I better get my two off to the sitter too," Theo said as Sadie approached him with the two wriggling babies that she had just relieved Narcissa of.
"Who's watching them?" Hermione asked curiously.
"My Step-Mum." Theo replied, "She complained that we always let Sorenson babysit, so we said she could have them for the night. I reckon she'll be knackered in the morning and never ask to have them again."
Draco snorted, "You never know. She might surprise you."
"We'll see," Sadie chuckled, "But they are tired, so we'll take them to Nott House and come back later. Say goodbye to Auntie Hermione and Uncle Draco Mina."
Almina lifted her hand and attempted to wave. Hermione grabbed her hand and shook it, and Draco gave her a little hug.
"You say goodbye as well then, Charlie," Theo said, having taken his son from Sadie.
Charlus made a face then some sort of growling noise.
"Or not," Hermione laughed,
"He's tired," Sadie chuckled.
"And part werewolf apparently," Theo remarked dryly.
"See you soon," Hermione said with a smile as the couple left the drawing-room.
"Congrats then, Mrs Black," Lilly said as she skipped over to the couple, "Hey Nev, I reckon you should remove that silencing charm from Rob. He's starting to get a tad angry now."
Neville chuckled and grabbed her hand, "I'd forgotten I put it on till Draco mentioned it. Come on. I need you by my side when I take it off. I might require a Healer to mend my eardrums."
Draco and Hermione laughed as their friends disappeared, leaving them alone by the head table as a team of house-elves came in and began to tidy up.
"Come on," Draco said, smiling at his wife, "Let's sit up on the roof terrace while we wait. It's probably about the only alone time we'll get for the rest of the night."
"That sounds perfect," Hermione admitted with a smile.
Almost everyone was gathered back in the drawing-room after it had been turned into a ballroom. The cake was on the table and about to be cut when Daphne waltzed back into the room.
Hermione looked at her friend in disbelief, "Draco, look at her."
Draco turned around, and his eyes fell on Daphne, "Wow."
"She's just wearing that to prove a point, isn't she?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"I mean…well…." Draco tried to come up with something diplomatic to keep the peace, but then he settled on, "Yeah, she's proving a point alright."
"I hate her sometimes," Hermione grumbled.
"She's one of your best friends," Harry said as he approached them.
"You are my best friend," Hermione corrected, "And as she is married to you, I put up with more of her whims than I would with anyone else."
"That…" Harry trailed off, "That sounds fair, yeah."
Daphne was wearing a very similar dress to the one she had been forced to wear to the wedding. In fact, Hermione suspected it was the same dress, just magically altered. Where a high necklace had been, it was now low cut and revealed cleavage. It had been drawn in at the waist, and more to point, the colour had been changed. The sequins were emerald green at the bust, then blended in at the start of the skirt to become silver. The wreath in her hair had also been transfigured to silver, and Daphne had added green accents with what looked like real emeralds.
"I know you're pissed off with her, and I don't blame you," Harry said honestly, "But right now I'm just looking at her thinking, how the hell did I get that woman to marry me and adopt a child with me?"
"I wonder that regularly," Draco remarked dryly.
When Daphne reached them, she sighed and said, "Ah, that's better."
"It's the same dress, isn't it?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"No, I would never brutally rip apart the dress you lovingly picked for me," Daphne said honestly, "It's a copy of the original dress, just spruced up to de-Gryffindor it."
"What are you going to do with the original?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at her friend.
"Put it somewhere safe and cherish it forever," Daphne replied, struggling to hide her sarcasm.
"You've put it in a cupboard, and you'll put it in a dressing up box for your kids if you have girls," Draco predicted.
"No," Daphne said unconvincingly.
"You're unbelievable," Hermione said, unsure whether to laugh or cry. At the end of the day, it was a minor disagreement that would be forgotten about in next to no time anyway.
"Time to cut the cake!" Harry announced before a fight could get underway.
The couple then cut the cake together and took to the dance floor for their first dance.
"You are impossible, you know," Harry murmured to Daphne as they stood on the sidelines.
"Why do you put up with me then?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Because you're intelligent and funny and witty," Harry said, struggling to keep his eyes away from her cleavage, "And also hot, very, very hot."
Daphne chuckled and hushed him, "The dance is about to start."
"This is my love song to you,
Let everyone woman know I'm yours,
So you can fall asleep each night babe,
And know I'm dreaming of you more."
Hermione leaned into Draco's embrace and whispered, "This has been perfect."
"Yeah," Draco agreed as they swayed on the floor together, "It has been."
"You're always hoping that we'll make it,
You always want to keep my gaze,
But you're the only one I see love,
And that's the one thing that won't change."
At this point, the rest of their friends began to take to the dance floor. Theo held his arm out to Sadie, as was the tradition for the best man to dance with the Matron of Honour.
"He really loves her," Theo said softly.
"Yeah," Sadie agreed with a smile, "We could never have called it, could we?"
"Nah," Theo said as he spun her out, "But life is funny that way."
Sadie's smile didn't shift, "It sure is," she agreed.
"I will never stop trying,
I will never stop watching as you leave,
I will never stop losing my breath,
Every time I see you looking back at me
I will never stop holding your hand,
I will never stop opening your door,
I will never stop choosing you babe,
I will never get used to you."
"Do you fancy a dance, my love?" Harry asked Daphne with a grin.
Daphne laughed and took to the dance floor with him, "Of course."
They fell into hold comfortably, and Harry smiled over at the newlyweds, "I never thought I'd see her this happy after the war."
"I never thought I would see the day that Draco stopped denying his feelings for Hermione," Daphne admitted.
"The song they have chosen hits home a lot," Harry said, thinking that the lyrics reminded him of his and Daphne's relationship.
"Yes," Daphne agreed thoughtfully. She met Harry's eyes and smiled, "It does."
"And with this love song to you,
It's not a momentary phase,
You are my life, I don't deserve you,
But you love me just the same."
Neville smiled over at Lilly, "Want to dance? Since it's tradition and all?"
"Oh, come off it, Nev," Lilly said, grinning at him, "You love to dance."
"I know," Neville said with a chuckle, "But it's not exactly your thing."
"I can do this kind of slow dancing," Lilly said, putting her hands in what she thought was the right place.
Neville laughed and moved them into what was actually the right position, then he pulled her close and said, "So that's it then, we're the only non-married couple in our friend group."
"Which sounds bad until you remember that we're only 20," Lilly pointed out.
"True," Neville chuckled.
Lilly looked up into his eyes and smiled, "And we'll get there eventually. You know that, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Neville said, smiling warmly at her and kissing her lightly.
"And as the mirror says we're older,
I will not look the other way,
You are my life, my love, my only,
And that's the one thing that won't change."
Ginny stood above Rob's table and smirked down at him.
Rob raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you want, ginger human?"
"Rob!" Jennifer and Elizabeth chastised in unison.
Rob rolled his eyes, "What?"
"Be polite," Jennifer said, looking up, "Sorry, Ginny, wasn't it?"
"Yep," Ginny said, she held out her hand, "Come on, Rob, we need to dance."
"Oh no, we really don't," Rob said quickly.
"It is traditional," Jennifer said, "You're a groomsman, and she is a bridesmaid."
"She is also a child," Rob pointed out, "Like a literal child."
"She is not a child," Jennifer said, raising an eyebrow at Rob, "She has a child."
"Children can have children. I know this because I work in CPS," Rob pointed out.
"Robert," Elizabeth said, fixing him with a stern look, "Dance with the nice girl."
"Do as you are told," Jennifer advised.
Rob looked to John in disbelief, "Mate, are you going to help me out here?"
John scoffed, "Am I going to over-rule my wife and her super scary sister who you decided to date? Am I hell, Wolfie."
"Some hotshot Auror you are," Rob sulked as he got to his feet.
Ginny smiled sweetly at him and dragged him onto the dancefloor.
"I will never stop trying,
I will never stop watching as you leave,
I will never stop losing my breath,
Every time I see you looking back at me
I will never stop holding your hand,
I will never stop opening your door,
I will never stop choosing you babe,
I will never get used to you."
As the song neared its end, more couples took to the dance floor. Astoria managed to drag Charlie up, and Bill and Lara willingly started to dance together. Narcissa danced with Cygnus, and Hermione's parents danced together too.
"Come on, Suse, let's have at least one dance together," Percy said, holding his hand out to his wife.
"How are we going to do that with this big bump in the way?" Susan huffed.
"Easily," Percy said, putting his arms around her and keeping a little distance for her bump, which really wasn't that big, but Susan had always been a drama queen.
"I swear I'm pregnant with twins," Susan grumbled.
"Lilly has checked three times," Percy said, smiling at her in amusement, "You aren't."
Susan made a face at him.
Percy's smile didn't shift. He just rested his hand on the small of her back and said, "Think about it…next Christmas, there will be three of us."
Susan's expression softened, and she smiled down at her bump, "Yeah, there will be."
"You still get my heart racing,
You still get my heart racing, for you
You still get my heart racing,
You still get my heart racing, for you."
As the night wore on, the free bar began to take effect.
"Look at this one!"
Neville hit himself in his face, "Lilly! You can't just lift your dress in front of my boss!"
"It's fine," Lilly said offhandedly, "It's only my lower leg. It's not like he can see my knickers."
Rob cocked his head to look at the scar, "That's a good one. How did you get that?"
"Crazy muggle with a cutlass," Lilly said cheerfully.
"Nice!" Rob said, "Look at this one." He lifted his shirt, and Jennifer rolled her eyes.
Lilly looked at the oval-shaped scar, "That's pretty cool. How did you get it?"
"Stabbed by an ex-girlfriend," Rob said with a grin.
Jennifer raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"
"Not your sister," Rob assured her.
"Right, that makes that sentence better," Jennifer said. She shook her head at Neville, "Why are they getting a thrill out of comparing scars?"
"I have no idea," Neville said with a sigh, "Do you want another gin? Cause I'm going to go to the bar and leave them to it."
"Yeah, do you know what? I reckon I'll just come with you," Jennifer said, looking back at Rob in a fond but long-suffering sort of way.
"I'm not going to lie, I'm still pretty disgusted by the fact our parents are together," Daphne said as she danced with Draco.
Draco followed her line of sight to where their parents were dancing. Cygnus was whispering something, and his mother was smiling and nodding.
"Yeah, I mean, it took me a while to get used to it," Draco agreed, looking back at his friend, "But I've not seen my mother this happy for a while."
"I know," Daphne said with a sigh, "And I'm glad that they are happy, I really am. But what if they get married?"
"Do you think they will?" Draco asked in alarm.
"I never thought my dad would remarry after my psycho mother," Daphne said with a sigh, "But lately, he's been weird. He keeps making comments about marriage like he's trying to prepare me for the idea."
"I didn't think my mother would remarry either," Draco admitted, "But if they want to…well, who are we to stand in their way?"
"But if they got married, we would be related," Daphne said, making a face.
"By marriage, not blood," Draco pointed out.
"You would be my step-brother," Daphne said, looking up at him, "My ex-boyfriend and my step-brother."
"But I was your ex-boyfriend first, so you're getting hung up on a technicality," Draco said, looking at her in amusement, "You've been very dramatic this evening."
"Must be all the alcohol," Daphne joked.
Draco laughed and said, "I doubt we have anything to worry about though, Daphne. Even if your dad wants to marry my mum, I very much doubt she would remarry now."
"Thank Salazar for that," Daphne remarked with relief.
Charlie was a little drunk by the end of the evening, but not to the point where his faculties could be called into question. As a slow song played, he swayed around the dancefloor with Astoria contently.
"You know," Charlie said thoughtfully, "This whole wedding thing today…it's had me thinking."
"Weddings tend to do that," Astoria stated.
Charlie drew back a little to look at her, "I know, but it got me thinking about us. Bill has finally buggered off to live with Lara, so…do you reckon it's time to buy that big house in the country with enough room for all my dragons?"
Astoria raised an eyebrow at him, "Are you proposing to me?"
Charlie frowned, then his eyes widened with realisation, "Yes…I am, and it's a terrible proposal, isn't it? I mean, I don't even have a ring or anything yet, but you would probably want to choose it anyway because you'll want something fancy-"
"Charlie," Astoria cut in with a smile, "I would love to buy that big house in the country with you. I would love to marry you. I was just waiting for the moment to be right for you."
Charlie grinned at her, "Sorry for the shit proposal."
"It's fine," Astoria laughed, "It was very you."
Charlie leaned down to kiss her as the song came to its end.
From the balcony that Draco had installed just for the wedding, Draco and Hermione looked down at their friends and family. It was after midnight, so not many people were left, and they were about to throw in the towel themselves and go to bed.
Down below Rob, John and Neville were playing drunken darts with a dummy that they had conjured up while Elizabeth and Jennifer drank gin and looked on. Lilly was the referee, and somehow her dress had halved in length throughout the night.
Harry and Daphne, and Theo and Sadie, were both on the dance floor. An upbeat song was playing, and Theo was being flamboyant, much to Sadie's amusement. Harry was dancing like a dad, and Daphne was making him look bad.
Hermione smiled down at them, and all the others, Charlie and Astoria, who were talking in whispers, lost in each other's eye. Susan, who had her feet up in Percy's lap. Her shoes abandoned as he massaged them. Bill laughed as he danced with Lara, and Hermione was glad to see that he had found happiness again.
"We have a pretty good life," Draco said, reading the look in her eye.
Hermione reached down and took his hand, "We do," she agreed with a smile.
Draco smiled too, "Thank you, Hermione," he said, leaning over to kiss her.
"For what?" Hermione mumbled against his lips.
"For seeing the good in me when I couldn't even see it myself," Draco said, his eyes boring into hers.
Hermione leant up and captured his lips again, this time in a far more searing, passionate kiss.
"Oi pretty boy!" A shout from below said.
Draco and Hermione split apart, and down below, Rob called, "Take it to the bloody bedroom!"
Draco smiled mischievously and said, "Alright, I will!"
He lifted Hermione, and she squealed in alarm. Then without further ado, he carried her off of the balcony towards their bedroom, to cheers and catcalls from all of their very drunk but wonderful friends.
* ~ TBC ~ *