Here is chapter ten ^_^ Thank you ever so much for reviewing. I don't own anything at all, except the plot. Have never been to a wedding rehearsal and haven't been to a wedding for years so I apologise for any mistakes.
~ * ~
Hermione jumped down the stairs, slid past Trinity and into the kitchen. "Ginny! The wedding rehearsal is in under four hours! Why didn't you wake me?!"
"You needed the rest," said Ginny calmly. Neville had got the next few days off work, and so he was taking care of Trinity, trying to catch her and get her ready.
"What am I going to wear?!" shrieked Hermione, disappearing back upstairs to hunt through her clothes. In the kitchen, Ginny sighed and shook her head.
"That girl is going to kill herself before Saturday if she doesn't calm down," she said aloud, setting the dishes to wash as Neville ran past her, after Trinity again. "It's your own fault. I told you not to buy her that toy broom." Trinity was using that to evade her father, thinking it all a game.
"Ginny! Help me up here!" Hermione's voice floated down the stairs. Ginny headed to the spare room, and sighed as she heard a crash from the kitchen as Trinity flew into Neville.
"Oh Merlin. She's got the Longbottom sense of co-ordination alright."
"Ginny! Now!" Hermione ordered again. Ginny continued upstairs.
"Why am I the only sane person in this house today?" she asked loudly, preparing to be driven insane.
~ * ~
Under an hour later, Hermione, Neville and Trinity were lined up in the lounge as Ginny lectured them.
"Neville, next time you buy a toy that Trinity can use to be faster than you on, don't come crying to me when she crashes into you! Trinity, when Mommy tells you to go to Daddy, she expects you to go! Hermione, it's only a rehearsal! Stop fretting!" Ginny placed her hands on her hips and shook her head, surveying the three. Neville was holding a now clean Trinity, both dressed smartly. Hermione had finally settled on a red cashmere sweater and some jeans, and had stopped shaking.
"Right. The rehearsal is in three hours. We will go and fetch Lavender and Harry, and then we will go somewhere neat to wait. Understand?" she glared.
"Yes'm," chroused Neville and Hermione.
"Hesal in tree hour!" cried Trinity happily, copying her mother. "Fet Lavvie an' Hawwy! Go somewhere an' wait! Unnerstan'?"
"Aw, bless her cotton socks, she's trying to copy you Ginny," smiled Hermione. Ginny clapped her hand to her head.
"That's it. Give me knitting needles and call me Molly. Trinity's doomed. If I can become my mother after years of trying not to, she has no hope."
"Ginny, it's not that bad," smiled Neville. "You just need to calm down and stop fussing like your mother does. It's not that bad, anyway."
As Ginny turned her wrath to Neville, Hermione grinned. "You just put your foot in it."
"That is, um, you're not like her at all, she's much worse-" Neville clapped his spare hand over his mouth. Hermione hung her head.
"Stop digging your grave and shut up now," she ordered. "Ginny, we've got to pick up Lavender and Harry."
Ginny stopped preparing to kill Neville and nodded, composing herself. "Yes. Fetch Lavender and Harry. Right." She led the way outside, still muttering comments about Neville and becoming Molly Weasley under her breath.
~ * ~
Harry looked around. No one was looking, and he had ten minutes before he was meeting Ginny and Neville. Perfect. With a furtive glance, he pointed his wand towards Draco's house, and whispered several charms. A glow settled around the house, showing that the anti-apparition wards were in place. Harry grinned and grabbed his hidden broom, flying to an area outside the wards, a grin on his face.
So it's cheating. Breaking the rules. That's never stopped me before. All's fair in love and war.
~ * ~
Draco ran around the house, making sure everything was prepared for the wedding. This was the last few hours he would have, before everything became hectic. Harry, Ron and Neville were staying with him for two days, after the rehearsal and the night before the wedding.
"Right, Ron's got the rings, my suit is in the wardrobe, my wand is in my robes," he muttered to himself. Twinkle watched him, laughing.
"Master Draco, Twinkle will see that everything is ready. Master must go and meet Miss Hermione, sir."
"Alright, alright." Draco stopped fussing and tried to apparate. An electric shock coursed through his body, and he landed on the floor.
"Master Draco! What happened to Master Draco, sir?" Twinkle rushed forward to make sure he was alright. Draco held out a shaking hand.
"It's alright. Something must have triggered the wards. I'll check them
now." Draco got up and left the house, raising his wand. Each ward
shimmered slightly as he checked them. One ward shimmered, and then turned
black as he muttered the charm to check it.
"Anti-apparition? Who put that one up?" Draco asked Twinkle, who shrugged.
"Twinkle knows as much as Master Draco does, sir," she said in her high-pitched voice. Draco sighed and carefully removed the ward, before checking all the others. Checking his watch, he let out a scream.
"The rehearsal started five minutes ago! Hermione's going to kill me!" He pocketed his wand and apparated quickly.
~ * ~
Hermione stared at the door nervously. "Where is he?" she asked Ginny, who shrugged.
"Trying to ditch the Prophet? Last minute preparations? Who knows?" She smiled comfortingly. "Don't worry. He'll be here."
"I'm sure he will, 'Mione," smiled Harry from behind Lavender. He hadn't tried anything, for which Hermione was grateful.
"And if he doesn't show up, Harry'll stand in. Won't you?" asked Ron with a grin. Harry looked shocked, as if he hadn't expected to ask, and then nodded unsurely.
"Well, if Hermione doesn't mind," he said with a devilish grin.
Hermione looked stunned, half of her wanting Harry to stand in, the other half
begging Draco to turn up.
"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but we can't wait for him any longer. If we don't start now, the next couple's rehearsal will be late too," said the priest gently. Hermione and Draco had opted for a church wedding, Draco determined to dissolve all beliefs still held that his family was evil.
"After all, evil can't go into churches, can it?" he had said, taking Hermione's hand.
"Mr Potter, would you be prepared to stand in for Mr Malfoy?" asked the priest politely. Hermione's heart fell. Draco hadn't shown up.
"Of course." Harry made his way forward to stand next to Ron by the altar. "I'll stand in for-"
The doors opened and Draco ran forward. "I'm sorry!" he said politely. "Something reacted with my wards and caused an anti-apparition field. I didn't mean to be late, Hermione."
Harry looked angry, and then gave a smile. "Just in time. Good luck Draco." He stepped back, and Draco took his place by Hermione's side.
"I'm really sorry, Hermione. I don't know what could have caused it," said Draco sincerely. Hermione smiled softly, thankful he had turned up.
"It's okay," she said, relieved. "Just promise this won't happen on Saturday, hmm?" She stared at him, feeling overwhelmed by the love for her she saw in his eyes.
"Can we get started?" asked the priest, coughing slightly, disturbing their moment. Hermione was led outside by Ginny and Lavender, so all three would know their cue. Ron stood next to Draco, looking proud, and Harry took a seat.
"Thank you." The priest nodded to the door, and a short burst of music signalled the start.
"Right, Ginny first," whispered one of the women there to help. Ginny set off, holding an imaginary bouquet, a big smile on her face. Once she was halfway down the aisle, Lavender was gently but firmly pushed out, and she walked after Ginny, both taking short steps. When Lavender was halfway down, Hermione nervously took a step out.
If I'm this nervous now, what am I going to be like on Saturday? she wondered, making her way down the aisle in a dream. Her father, who would be giving her away on the day, was busy and couldn't get out of it, as he had explained.
She reached the altar after what seemed like a lifetime, and listened carefully as the priest slowly talked his way through to the vows. She watched Draco with a loving smile as he repeated after the priest, for what would be the first time of many that rehearsal, the vows.
"I, Draco, take you, Hermione, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."
"And, you, Hermione," intoned the priest. Hermione smiled.
"I, Hermione, take you, Draco, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."
"No, no, no!" hissed Ron, looking panicky. He had been frantically patting his pockets throughout the rehearsal, and now dropped to his knees. "Has anyone seen a pair of gold, his'n'hers rings? Let me know if you do! Thanks!"
"Ron! You've lost the rings?!" Draco and Hermione shouted in unison. Ron looked up and ran his hand through his hair nervously.
"Um, yes?"
Harry clapped a hand over his mouth, stifling his laughter. Hermione shot him a glare, and got down to search the floor.
"Come on everyone! Help him find them!" ordered Ginny, getting her wand out and whispering, "Accio rings!" Nothing turned up.
"Accio! Accio! Accio!" Shouts broke out across the church, and the few Muggles present used the old-fashioned method of actually looking for them.
"I don't believe this!" Hermione stamped her foot angrily. "Everyone, get up now!" She lifted her wand. "If I don't see those rings flying towards me within five seconds, I'm going to get very angry! Accio!"
"One, two, three," started Ron, counting with a grin on his face. Before he reached five, the two gold rings flew through the air to Hermione's outstretched hand.
"Thank you," she said, handing them to Ron. "Don't lose them again, Ronnie-kins," she ordered sweetly. Ron gulped nervously; one of the most powerful Aurors, nervous in the face of his friends wrath.
"Right. Now, once more, with feeling," grinned Harry as they took their places for another trial.
~ * ~
"And now, Mr Weasley, the rings?" asked the priest for the third time. Ron stopped flirting with Lavender and, blushing profusely, presented the rings.
"Thank you, Mr Weasley." Ron gave a grin and turned to Lavender. Hermione sighed as they finished rehearsing for the wedding. So far, she had tripped and fallen, Lavender had missed her cue, Ron had lost the rings, Harry had broken out into a fit of the sneezes, Ginny had got the giggles, and Draco had muddled up his vows.
"If we manage to pull this one off, it'll be a miracle."
And a miracle if I can live happily ever after.
~ * ~