The days preceding the train ride to Hogwarts were filled with activity and a flurry of mixed emotions. Hermione was always one to believe in wedding superstitions, and although she wanted to, she wouldn't see or talk to Draco until midnight. Thursday night would prove to be the hardest night she had ever endured. Not sleeping, waiting until 11:45 to walk across the sloping lawns to the lake. Hermione's mother was already at the lake, along with Narcissa, Harry, Ron, and all the teachers. Lavender was Hermione's only company, and they talked in hushed whispers about the next few years.
"Oh, Hermione! I can't believe it! Getting married to Malfoy?" Lavender giggled, and looked a little thoughtful. "I mean, I always thought he was probably the sex god of Slytherin-"
"Lavender! This is my fiancée were discussing! Not some random boy from school!" Hermione and Lavender laughed, before Lavender said something that earned her a smack on the arm.
"Well, is he a sex god?"
P
Draco stood calmly under the apple tree. Leaning against the trunk, eyes closed, he twisted the ring around his right finger. Leaving one ring go, he put a hand in his pocket to feel the other ring; the wedding band he was going to give to Hermione. It was white gold, with an inset band of ruby. Narcissa had spent days trying to find one to fit the circumstances the two were under, but never found one good enough. Draco had simply looked in a book from the library at his house, and found one perfectly suited to his bride. (A/N---The ruby symbolizes love and passion. Some rubies used in wedding rings are believed to darken in the case that love between the said couple isn't going well…remember that! It's important…and since it's all magic-like, the ruby does darken if said events happen.) The wedding ceremony was a traditional handfasting, with Narcissa and Severus being High Priest and High Priestess. Lavender would represent the North, Harry the West, Ron the East, and Margaret the South. Dumbledore would be the crystal bearer. The rest of the witnesses would complete the circle. As midnight drew near, a cold breeze started to blow, causing the company near the lake to shiver. The moon was right above them, casting shadows that flickered in the wind. Draco opened his eyes and looked up. As the circle was forming to his left, two figures approached him on his right. Lavender ran ahead, kissing Hermione's cheek. Hermione walked very slowly, seemingly gliding across the dewy grass. As she finally did walk up next to Draco, she was shaking from nerves and cold. They weren't allowed to speak as the circle was cast, leaving them to stare at each other in silence.
"We cast the circle of ancient lore; Waves upon a timeless shore. With no beginning, nor an end; it always knows a foe from friend. Oroboros, of legends old; Rings of power, forged in gold. Circle of Life, ring of stones; Cycle of creation, birth to bones. A ring around the silvery Moon; We cast you now, o ancient rune!" Narcissa spoke in a breathy voice, casting petals around the circle. Dumbledore picked up a crystal from the altar, and passed it to Ron. Ron took the crystal with shaking hands and held it upwards, invoking its powers. Dumbledore smiled as Ron handed him back the crystal, and Dumbledore proceeded around the circle, having each caller invoke its powers. After Lavender handed it back, Dumbledore placed the crystal on the altar and stood back in the circle. Looking at Ron, Lavender smiled and nodded, indicating for him to speak.
"I call the Eastern powers of air, You whose breath of life we share, Bring understanding, kindness, care, And loving words, both clear and fair. Come bless this day our rite of love, As below then so above." Ron whispered in an unsteady voice.
"I call the Southern powers of fire, Whose light doth stir the poet's lyre, With love's bright spark our hearts inspire, Bring passion's flame, bring sweet desire, Come bless this day our rite of love, As below then so above." Margaret recited, tears building in her eyes.
"Oh powers of the Western sea, Oh water's flowing unity, Bring feeling, warmth and empathy, That all our lives may blessed be, Come bless this day our rite of love, As below then so above." Harry said, a little saddened at the prospect of giving his best friend away to an almost stranger.
"Oh Northern powers of living Earth, Charge our souls from death to birth, On solid ground of rock and loam, Bring forth our food and build our home, Come bless this day our rite of love, As below then so above." Lavender said in a clear voice. Severus nodded, and started the invocations of the God and Goddess.
"Laughter-loving Aphrodite! Venus Amathusia! Come to me with laughing breast, Come on waves with golden crest, Come with doves and golden light, Drawn by swans and sparrows bright. Alight! Alight! I am thy man, I am thy mate! Receive me till our storm abates! Thy green glades echo with my calls, Come to me from emerald halls, Flanked by maidens winding there,
Rose and mytle in thy golden hair, Come to me! To me! To me! And mate with me upon the grass, laughing, lusty, oh ravishing lass! Our bodies arch and strain and twine, I am thine and thou art mine! Come from heavens of azure hue, Ocean born and ever new, Pulsing, laughing, yearning straining, Pleasure, lust, all life containing, Race with me through glades of green, Exalting, loving, oh rapturous queen! To me! To me! Oh come to me! And enter, merge, enfold, unite! Suffuse desire with golden light! Never sated in eons of time, I am thine and thou art mine!" The company was a little shocked to hear the words flow from Severus' mouth in a beautiful recitation. Narcissa smiled, and said the invocation of the God.
"Oh horned one, goat-foot, Great God Pan! Come to me with eyes of fire, And with thy pipes awake desire, Come with wild and lustful grin, Herald of your flame within, To Pan! To Pan! To Pan, Pan, Pan! Shout to me from scented wood, The call of all that's wild and good, Come to me with shaggy thighs, And let the hills return our cries, Come with satyrs bearing wine,
I am thine and thou art mine! Come with joyous lusty laugh, Come with swollen ruddy staff, Race with me through halls of green, Thou art my God and I your Queen, And spend with me a tender hour, Making love within my bower, To me! To me! Oh come to me! And come oh God of stream and wood, Oh God of life and all that's good, Never sated in eons of time, I am thine and thou art mine!" Narcissa, upon finishing, turned to Severus, who looked her right in the eyes. Clear, ice blue meeting black.
"Blessed be." They whispered.
"Blessed be." The circle called.
"Our work today is a happy one. We are gathered in the presence of the deities of the fruitful trees, the flowing waters, the cooling moon and the singing air, and in the sight of the Goddess of our Blessed Earth to celebrate the joining of our two dear friends Draco and Hermione, in union by the fasting of their hands by ancient rite." Severus spoke, tearing his eyes away from the penetrating gaze of Narcissa.
"This is the cord of handfasting. It will tie Draco and Hermione together with bonds of love. For such bonds to be strong they need support -- the support of the lovers themselves, the support of the Gods and the support of a community of family and friends. We ask now that each of you give your support, letting it flow as loving strength into the cord as it is passed around the circle." Narcissa said, lifting the cord. A note of sadness was detected in her voice, unnoticed by everyone except Severus and Dumbledore. The cord was passed around the circle, and when it returned to Severus, he spoke to Margaret and the South quarter of the circle.
"Now open the circle, cut wide the gate, for two are coming who would be made one!" Severus said, and Margaret stood back for Draco and Hermione to enter.
Draco and Hermione walked slowly, hand in hand, around the circle. Draco stood in the Western quarter, as Hermione continued to the East. The approached the alter from opposite sides, meeting in the middle, locking their eyes together in an intense gaze.
"Brothers and sisters, the Bride comes from the heart of the dawn, and the groom from the sunset. There is a wedding in the valley; a day too vast for recording! There is magic to be done here; the magic of Love!" Narcissa said, looking lovingly upon her son and Hermione.
"You have come together in this sacred grove to stand in the presence of our Lady of Love and our Lord of Lust, that they may bestow upon you their bountiful blessings of everlasting love and devotion through the sacred rite of handfasting. This is a bond not to be entered into lightly, but with seriousness, reverence, and joy." Severus said, looking at the two in the center of the circle.
"Is it your intention, Draco, to be wed to Hermione in the sight of the gods and of these people? To be tied to her in giving, in dreams, and in intentions, and to vow to her your love and commitment?" Narcissa said gently to her son.
"Yes, forever and always." Draco responded.
"Have you considered the gravity of your commitment?" Narcissa continued.
"Yes." Draco whispered.
"Have you considered the levity of your commitment?" Narcissa asked.
"Yes." Draco spoke with a little more confidence.
"Is it your intention, Hermione, to be wed to Draco in the sight of the Gods and of these people? To be tied to him in giving, in dreams, and in intentions, and to vow to him your love and commitment?" Severus spoke in a deep and saddened voice.
"Yes, forever and always." Hermione said in a shaky voice.
"Have you considered the gravity of your commitment?" Severus asked.
"Yes." Hermione breathed.
"Have you considered the levity of your commitment?"
"Yes."
Narcissa turned to Hermione, holding up a pentacle. "Hermione, Thou shalt be the star that rises from the twilight sea. Thou shalt bring a man dreams to rule his destiny. Thou shalt bring the moon-tides to the soul of a man. The tides that flow and ebb, and flow again, The magic that moves in the moon and the sea; These are thy secret, and they belong to thee. Thou art the Eternal Woman, thou art She, The tides of all men's souls belong to thee. Danu in heaven, on Earth, Persephone, Diana of the Moon and Hecate, Veiled Isis, Aphrodite from the sea, All these thou art, and they are seen in thee."
Severus held up Draco and Hermione's wands, tied together with a simple white ribbon. "Draco," he spoke, "All wild creatures hear thy call upon the haunted wind. Within thy soul the Horned One returns to Earth again. Together you shall manifest the magick of the man and falcons soar from out the sky to perch upon thy hand. The serpent's wisdom thou shalt learn from tip of forked tongue. The fleetness of the white stag's flight in starlight or in sun. Lord of Light and Lord of Shadow; keeper of the key which unlocks the door of dreams, whereby men come to thee. Cernunnos, Tammuz, Horus, Pan; by name we set thee free! O, Shepherd of the wild woodland, may thou be one with he!" Severus and Narcissa turned to face one another. Severus held out the wands, as Narcissa picked up a chalice and an athame. Anointing each with water, she held them above the wand. Speaking to the couple, but facing Severus, Narcissa spoke, her voice soft and full of an unknown sorrow.
"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. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience each with the other, for storms will come, but they will go quickly. Be free in giving of affection and of warmth; Make love often, and be sensuous to one another. Have no fear, and let not the ways or words of the unenlightened give you unease.
For the old gods are with you, Now and always!"
"Is it your wish, Hermione, to become one with this man?" Severus spoke, eyes still searching Narcissa's. Hermione nodded. "Then give him your vow."
"I, Hermione wed you, Draco and pledge to build with you a place of love, nourishment and happiness within our hearts and within our home. I pledge you love, honor and trust. Love, both soft and tender and love suffused with passion and playfulness; love which will honor your inner deity, endure hardship and nurture honesty, trust and devotion. I pledge to support and cherish your growth in the human adventure; to explore with you the wonders of life; to hold you in my love when you are ill or sad and to nurture your healing, growth, development and actualization. As you evolve so shall I for we are as one and reflect one another. I promise to create a home with you that shall be a haven for us both, a place of welcome for family, friends and lovers and a place of comfort in times of sorrow. I promise to love, honor, protect and nourish you as long as we both shall live." Hermione said, her voice soft and gentle, mixing with the warm breeze. She took the ring from her mother, who took a few steps forward to hand it to her. She slipped to cool metal on Draco's finger. It was a silver snake, wrapped around, biting its tail. It signified rebirth, hope, and renewal, all of which seemed to be pertinent to Draco himself.
"Is it your wish, Draco, to become one with this woman?" Narcissa said to her son, turning to face him, trying hard not to cry. Draco nodded. "Then give her your vow."
"I, Draco wed you, Hermione and pledge to build with you a place of love, nourishment and happiness within our hearts and within our home. I pledge you love, honor and trust. Love, both soft and tender and love suffused with passion and playfulness; love which will honor your inner deity, endure hardship and nurture honesty, trust and devotion. I pledge to support and cherish your growth in the human adventure; to explore with you the wonders of life; to hold you in my love when you are ill or sad and to nurture your healing, growth, development and actualization. As you evolve so shall I for we are as one and reflect one another. I promise to create a home with you that shall be a haven for us both, a place of welcome for family, friends and lovers and a place of comfort in times of sorrow. I promise to love, honor, protect and nourish you as long as we both shall live." Draco breathed in deeply, finishing his vow. He took the ring from his pocket and slipped it on Hermione's finger. The ruby was clear and bright.
"Does any say nay?" Severus said, taking a step forward. There was a silence surrounding them, as no one dared to breathe.
"Then we are favored, but we would ask for the blessings of the Elements." Draco said, following custom.
"Oh, Elements fair, we ask your blessings of our union." Hermione said, looking around the circle. The four Elements took a step inside the circle, reciting together.
"As you marry, take our blessings and the blessing of our Mother Earth that you may live long within Her breast and flourish in Her abundance." Lavender turned to the altar, and picked up the cord.
"I bid you bind them in love with our blessing." She said, handing the cord to Narcissa and Severus.
"This day you marry your friend, the one you love, laugh with, live for, dream with." Severus and Narcissa said together, tying the cord around the hands of Draco and Hermione.
"This knife is for the troubles that lie ahead." Severus said, handing the athame to Draco.
"This cup is for the love that conquers them." Narcissa said, handing the chalice to Hermione.
"I bring the energy of yang, active, bright, logical and hard. I bid you blend these
energies with yours to make us whole and keep this token on the altar of our love." Draco said, holding up the athame.
"I bring the energy of yin, dark, intuitive, flowing and soft. I bid you blend these energies with yours and make us whole and keep this token on the altar of our love." Hermione said, lifting the chalice.
"Yin and yang, male and female, light and dark. Neither may stand alone, but out of their eternal interplay the universe is born. So it is above and so it is here below." Severus said, as Draco dipped the athame into the chalice.
"Now share you the water of life, the blood of the sacred Goddess our Mother Earth, water that binds us and all living things to her body." Narcissa said, and Hermione and Draco drank of the water in the chalice, leaned forward and kissed.
"Out of the billions of the Earth, these two have come, have looked into each other's eyes, and are now made one. Their ways have converged and shall now be together. In our deepest being we hope that their path may be pleasant and the sky fair where they reside. But if trouble comes, as it can surely come to all, may the pressure of the trial only bring them more closely together. With clasped hands and united hearts, may they bear life's sorrows together and share life's joys together." Severus said, giving his blessing to the couple.
"We thank you Gods and Goddesses of the Sacred Marriage for attending and blessing this, our rite of life and love. We bid you now, Hail and Farewell!" Narcissa said, standing on the East End of the altar.
"Oh mighty Lord of life and death, whose hooves dance upon the altar of Time and whose pipes play the song of Never-Ending, we thank You for Your blessing and bid You now Hail and Farewell!" Severus said, standing on the West End of the altar.
"Oh gracious Goddess, Queen of love and birth whose body is the green and flowering Earth and the dust at whose feet are the stars of heaven, we thank You for Your blessing and bid You now Hail and Farewell!" Narcissa whispered, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "All from air into air, let the misty curtain part. All is ended, all is done. What has been must now be gone! What is done by ancient art must merry meet and merry part! And merry meet again…" Narcissa said, and her voice trailed off as one solitary tear slid down her cheek.
Draco and Hermione kissed again, as the circle broke. The cord was untied, and tied around Hermione's neck. She picked up the chalice as Draco attached the dagger to his belt. The company walked to the castle, leaving Draco and Hermione a moment of peace.
"Draco…" Hermione whispered, wanting to smile, laugh, and cry all at the same time.
"Shh…" Draco said, and crushed his lips upon hers. She willingly kissed him back, feeling the intense devotion and desire that coursed between them. Picking her up, Draco carried Hermione back to the castle. The doors were open, and they could hear activity in the dining hall. Placing Hermione back on her feet, Draco walked in through the doors to see the company of their wedding in the dining hall.
"Congratulations Draco!" Dumbledore said, pulling Draco through the door. Hermione followed and was quickly swept up in a hug by her mother.
"Oh, Hermione! I can't believe it! I'm so happy!" Margaret was beaming at her daughter, tears of joy slipping down her face. Samuel came over and hugged his daughter tightly.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." Letting go, he smiled at Hermione. "There's two other men here whom I'm sure would love to see you." Walking off with Margaret, Samuel chuckled as Harry and Ron came running over. Both of them hugged her, and smiled.
"Hermione Malfoy…what are we going to do? It just won't be the same with a married woman with us." Harry teased.
"I know, and a Malfoy woman at that!" Ron added, as the two boys fell into fits of laughter.
"Oh, hush! It's not like I've changed into some Slytherin whore!" Hermione retaliated against the two hysterical boys.
"Is that an insult to Slytherin?" A cool voice drawled from behind her. Snaking an arm around her stomach, Draco pulled Hermione's back to his chest.
"Well, I suppose it is, Malfoy." Hermione said slyly.
"Then, maybe I'll just have to teach you something about Slytherins, Granger." Draco said, teasingly.
"Hey, Malfoy, you can't call her Granger anymore." Harry said with mock anger.
"And why is that, Potter?" Draco said.
"Because she's a Malfoy too!" Ron said, and Harry and Ron burst into laughter again. Hermione sighed.
"Come on you two…it wasn't that funny!" Hermione said.
"Yes it was!" Ron panted. "Hermione…a Malfoy! If you told me that a year ago, I wouldn't have ever believed it!"
"Ron!" Lavender called, walking up to the group. "Stop rolling around the floor like a bloody idiot and come dance with me!" Lavender pulled Ron up and dragged him to the dance floor.
"Look's like more than just the Malfoy's are going to have some fun tonight." Harry said, as Hermione smacked his arm. "Ouch! Hey, it is true you know…" Another smack from Hermione. "If you keep doing that, woman, I may have to teach you a lesson! Er…get Draco to teach you a lesson."
"I think I could handle that." Hermione said as Harry made a disgusted face, earning him another smack.
"I'm leaving. If I'm not getting abused, I have to watch you two make out!" Running from another smack, Harry laughed and sat down with Professor McGonnagall.
"Well, Draco, about that lesson…" Hermione smiled mischievously.
P
**AUTHOR!!!!!!!!!** Anyways, I know that's confusing to you all…and I know its like, extreme quasi-fluff…but you know, It's my story goddamnit! So I'll write it how I want to. The handfasting is a traditional pagan wedding…to clear things up. *Talks to characters* Draco: can we please just get to the lesson here? I'm getting impatient…. Hermione: come on, you know what's gonna happen, so shut up! Snape: what about me? Are you going to tell them MY secret? Draco: shut up, old man, I want her to write my part…it is my story you know… Hermione: OUR story Malfoy, not yours… Snape: did he just call me old?
Yeah…I had to do that…its so much fun!
SPOILERS! Next chapter- un-fluffy-ness when Voldie-dearest comes back! And more about Narcissa and Severus…
REVIEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!