Unexpected Love
Summary: A fic that takes place after Hogwarts. Hermione left the magical world behind after a messy breakup with Krum and became a muggle teacher. Years later she discovers that one of her new students is a Malfoy. What will happen when Draco enters her life?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. The ones you don't recognize belong to me.
!!!Now, on with the long-awaited chapter!!!
Chapter 19- Winter Wonderland Wedding
That night, Hermione sat in her room, gazing out upon the thousands of stars surrounding the moon. The last bit of daylight was fading away behind the snow covered hills, making them seem as if they were gleaming with a blood red glow. It was truly beautiful, and Hermione loved the days that she spent with Ron, Harry, Lavender, Ginny, and the kids in their small, cozy cottage homes.
When she and Draco got married, where would they live? The Malfoy Manor? Hermione shivered. There was just something about that place that gave her the creeps. Partly she guessed it was because Lucius Malfoy had once resided there. And maybe it was also because Pansy Parkinson had also lived there for several years, as Draco's wife. But mostly she figured that it was because it was just that—a manor. She had lived in small places all of her life and she loved the cosiness of them. She had no desire to live in some huge, cold, mansion. But, alas, it was where Justin and Draco lived and she expected that once she and Draco got married, she would live there too.
"Hey Mione, what are you up to?" Hermione jumped slightly and turned around, smiling.
"Draco, don't ever sneak up on me again. And I am just admiring the view. I just love this lake, and all the trees around it."
"It is beautiful isn't it?" Draco said, coming up behind Hermione and putting his arms around her neck, resting his chin on her head.
"It's absolutely breathtaking. Just look at the snow covering everything," Hermione answered. Draco obliged and stared transfixed, watching the snow lightly falling from seemingly nothingness above to blanket the ground in a sparkling white cover.
"Let's get married here, in the snow."
Draco surprised even himself when he said that. It had just come spilling out of his mouth without him thinking about it. But it was true, it was what he wanted, and he knew it was what Hermione wanted.
Hermione whipped her head around quickly and gazed into his shining silver eyes. She didn't know if he was telling the truth but one look in those eyes told her he wanted this badly. She smiled widely at the thought but then it hit her—there would only be snow for a couple more months. And she sure didn't want to wait until next year. She voiced this concern to Draco and he just smiled and said, "Well, I guess we'll just have to do it in a few months then. Say, end of February?"
Hermione laughed and kissed him deeply.
"I'll take that as a yes then," he said, and Hermione answered, "Yes, of course, yes! Oh Draco, this is my dream wedding, thank you!"
The two of them stood like that in each others arms, Hermione's head buried in Draco's chest and Draco's chin resting on Hermione's head. Both of them had smiles on their faces as they just stood there, together.
Finally, Draco said, "Well, Mione, you should be getting to bed. We have plenty of planning to do before we return to Hogwarts—" Draco was cut off by a huge yawn and Hermione giggled.
"Well, I guess I'll be getting to bed to," said Draco as Mione grinned at him. She grabbed his hand and led him over to the plush, lavender and white-clad bed. They slipped under the luxurious silk bedspread and settled into each others arms. Hermione looked up into Draco's steely grey eyes and said, "I love you Draco."
"I love you too, Hermione," Draco replied. After a soft, sweet kiss, Hermione rested her head beside Draco's, feeling warm and safe in Draco's strong but gentle embrace. She sighed lightly and drifted off to sleep with a contented smile on her face.
*****
Excited squeals filled the house the following morning as Hermione and Draco told everyone about their wedding plans.
"Oh, Hermione! You're getting married right here in our own backyard!" Ginny said excitedly, and Hermione could already see Ginny's thoughts and plans going through her head a mile an minute.
Hermione laughed and turned to Ron, who had inquired about the exact day for the wedding. Hermione hesitated slightly because she and Draco hadn't exactly figured that out. They knew that they wanted it to be the end of February but that was all.
"February 24th," Hermione blurted out suddenly. She turned her head sheepishly towards Draco to see his reaction to her sudden decision. He seemed surprised but in her honey eyes he could tell that there was something special about that day.
"That's right, February 24th," he answered, smiling at Hermione as she smiled gratefully back at him.
"That doesn't even leave us two months!" said Lavender, "we should get started right away! Hermione, when you get ready, me and Ginny are taking you dress robe shopping. The boys can take Draco to get his wedding robes while we're at it!" Lavender started to head towards the stairs to get ready when Hermione interrupted her.
"Wait."
Lavender froze and the others all looked at her expectantly.
"I know I'm a witch, and I know that magical weddings are much different than muggle weddings -although I'm not sure how since I've never been to one— but if it's alright with Draco, I'd like to have a muggle wedding. My mother and I would always imagine my wedding together and plan how the wonderful day would go. My one wish for this wedding is for it to be muggle."
Hermione waited nervously for the verdict and let out a sigh of relief when Draco answered, "Honey, the wedding will be muggle, if that is what you truly want. I promised that I would keep you happy and I will keep that promise. But! I have no idea how a muggle wedding goes so please, enlighten me."
Hermione spent the next hour telling her very interested fiancé and group of friends (except, of course, Harry, who already knew about muggle weddings) all about how a muggle wedding worked. They were extremely excited to get started' it seemed like such an odd but wonderful adventure!
"So, Hermione, when you're ready, Lav and I will take you wedding dress shopping," Ginny concluded.
"And Ron and I will take Draco shopping for his tuxedo," Harry said.
"I thought it was called a tookado?" Ron said, confused, and everyone laughed as they hurried around, getting ready for their day of shopping.
*****
"Oh Hermione, that's gorgeous!" Lavender gushed, gazing up at Hermione in her eleventh wedding dress that she had tried on.
"This is definitely the one," Hermione said, gazing dreamily at her self in the mirror as she twirled.
The girls had been in the muggle dress shop for almost two hours now and Ginny and Lavender were ecstatic to hear that Hermione had finally found her dress.
And it was a truly beautiful dress, especially on Hermione. It was a pure, crisp white dress that made her dark skin and light brown hair stand out immensely. The style of the dress was like a princess' dress; it had a tight fitting bodice and a large, flowing skirt. The bodice had tiny, off the shoulder straps and a bateau neckline that cut sharply across Hermione's front. It was embellished with diamonds and crystals scattered across the front, forming delicate little flowers. The back was nearly bare. There was a rectangular opening down the back of the bodice, going nearly all the way down. This opening was laced up with a rich, silk ribbon. The bodice ended just below Hermione's waist, around her hips, in a soft, subtle curve. The full bottom trailed from below the bodice, plain, except for a ring of the diamond and crystal flowers around the bottom. A small train trailed from the back, not to big that people could step on it, but elegantly trailing just behind the gown.
"I'll take it."
*****
Meanwhile, across town, Draco was trying on the perfect tuxedo. It was a simple, midnight black tuxedo, with a jacket that fell to around Draco's upper hips and plain black, strait-leg pants. The very bottom layer consisted of a crisp, white collared shirt. This was covered by a platinum silver vest that Harry had said would bring out Draco's eyes and go well with the white dress Hermione would almost certainly choose. Draco had decided against the bowtie, saying it looked silly, so he had sent Ron to fetch him a regular tie. Ron had done amazingly well and had been able to retrieve a plain black, elegant tie. Harry had said that the vest was enough and that Draco should tone down the rest of the outfit with a simple black tie.
The final result was amazing. Draco emerged from the dressing room and the female saleslady was practically drooling over him. The sleek black with his blond hair was an amazing combination. Harry and Ron smiled to themselves.
"We'll take it."
*****
The adults returned home with their treasures and hid them away until the wedding. The rest of the Christmas break was spent doing planning, planning, and more planning.
It had been decided that the wedding would take place at the edge of the frozen lake, and that the reception would be brought into the warmth of Harry and Ginny's large kitchen and living room. Molly Weasley would prepare all of the food and beverages and the cake, and Fred and George would provide music from their large collection. Professor Sprout had agreed to lend the couple a large array of beautiful, cold-resistant flowering plants that she had been growing, and Colin Creevey, who had become a professional photographer, had agreed to be the photographer for the wedding.
The wedding rings had been purchased, they had gotten the marriage license, and, to the joy of Hermione, Dumbledore had agreed to perform the ceremony.
The day before Hermione and Draco were to have returned to Hogwarts, they sent out the wedding invitations. Draco was reading over them when his eyes fell upon the date for the wedding. He realized he never had asked Hermione why the day was so important. When he asked Hermione about this, she simply answered, "It was my parent's wedding anniversary," with a small smile on her face.
Draco smiled at this and went back to reading the invitations. However, as Draco sifted through the small stack of letters, he noticed that Hermione's parents had not been invited. Of course, he had noticed that the Grangers were never present at Christmas or any other special holiday, and Hermione never seemed to write or receive letters to or from them. He decided that he needed to find out what had happened to them, why Hermione wanted their wedding to be the same date as her parents, even though they weren't part of her life.
Hermione looked at Draco when he asked her, extremely surprised at his question. Draco immediately regretted asking her when she looked at him. Hurt and pain swam behind her honey, tear-filled eyes. But Hermione took a deep breath and prepared to tell him the awful truth that nobody, not even Harry or Ron, had been told before.
"They died."
As she said this a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. Draco grabbed her hand and squeezed it encouragingly. Hermione continued.
"It was in seventh year, not long after Krum left me. I got an owl from my aunt telling me the news. They had been visiting my aunt and uncle for the weekend. When they left it was pouring. There was no moon and they were out in the country so there were no streetlamps. They got into an accident that night. They died instantly. They left me. I had no boyfriend, no mother, and no father. I had no one that loved me."
Draco just held Hermione as she cried. He knew what it felt like to lose his parents. But to lose them both so unexpectedly.... Draco shivered and held Hermione even closer, trying to shield her from all the pain that she had experienced in what was supposed to be a happy time.
Hermione cried herself to sleep in Draco's arms. She looked so peaceful, just like an angel. Draco carried her to the couch and covered her with a blanket that was obviously knitted by Mrs. Weasley. He then quickly and quietly finished sending out the invitations and left to search out Ron and Harry.
*****
After that day, Hermione spoke no more of her parents, and Draco said nothing about them. Hermione and Draco headed back to Hogwarts while Justin stayed at the Weasley's house since Pansy had lost all custody of Justin.
January and the beginning of February flew by for Hermione and Draco once they had settled back into their routine at Hogwarts. Before they knew it, it was the eve of the wedding. Hermione and Draco Flooed to the Weasley's that night so that they could prepare everything they needed to prepare the day before the wedding. Most of the staff of Hogwarts, all of whom had been invited to the wedding, would be Flooing there the next day (of course, some staff members needed to stay with the students and weren't able to attend).
The night of February 23rd was a busy night, full of reunions, last minute checks on everything, and the setting up of the ceremony and reception areas. Hermione's dress was hung in one room, ready for her, and Draco's tux was set out in another room, waiting for him. The bride and groom went to bed that night exhausted but extremely excited.
Finally, the morning of the wedding arrived. Soft, white snow was falling, much to the delight of Hermione and Draco. Snow just seemed to top of their Winter Wonderland Wedding.
Hurriedly, Draco and Hermione ate a plentiful breakfast before Hermione headed off to get ready with her maid of honour, Ginny, and Draco headed off to get ready with his best man, Harry. Lavender, Ron, and the kids remained downstairs, to put the finishing touches on everything and greet the guests as the began to arrive.
Upstairs, in the grooms room, Harry got into his own black suit and then helped Draco into his stunning tuxedo.
"You're really lucky, you know mate," Harry said once Draco was ready, "Hermione's a great girl. Strong, brave, determined, good-hearted, and powerful. Very forgiving too, if you ask me. She shocked us all that day at Hogsmeade. She'd been gone for almost eight years, just disappeared from out lives, leaving us worried sick about her; there wasn't one day when I didn't wonder what her life was like. And then she just comes traipsing back into Hogsmeade and our lives one day outta the blue with you tagging along. You, our enemy from Hogwarts, who countless times called Hermione a mudblood."
Draco flinched at this foul word and his memories of hurting Hermione with it, but Harry continued.
"We were speechless. And angry. It was almost as if Hermione had betrayed us. But she told us that you had changed, and we knew better than to ignore Hermione's judgement. We reluctantly accepted you. Then later that day Hermione comes crying to us. And she was crying over you. We had seen Hermione in immense pain over a guy before and we didn't want it to happen again, not when we had just re-found her. We were so angry at you, Draco. We thought maybe Hermione's judgement had been slipping over the years. But do you know what happened then? We realized that you had done something that we had failed to do. You had found Hermione and you had brought her back. We couldn't do that. No matter how many times we wrote to Hermione, begging her to return, she wouldn't. But after one conversation with you, she followed right back into her magical life. We knew we couldn't be mad at you anymore after you brought her back to us. And then there was the incident with Justin and the Death Eaters. When you carried Hermione through those doors, your eyes gave away everything. You cared so deeply for Hermione, and your love for her had been mounting ever since you first met her after all those years. We could see that you were scared to love her fully though, to be with her. Draco, have you ever loved someone before?
Draco looked up into Harry's eyes and replied, "Only my mother and Justin. I had never felt the love for a woman before. I was afraid. Holding a grudge was the only thing that I knew how to do."
"But when you saw Hermione awake after she had saved the life of your son, one of the only people you've ever loved—"
"I knew that she was the one," Draco finished. "I hadn't let anyone touch my heart like that before. I actually didn't feel that I deserved Hermione. But she forgave me. She is my life. She saved me. And I love her."
Harry answered, "I know you do, Draco, and I can honestly say that you deserve to have her. The past is the past, and you proved that we can make choices in our lives that change who we set out to be. Hermione is the one for you Draco, and you're the one for her. So get out there and marry her!" Harry added with a grin.
Draco returned the grin and gave Harry a quick hug before throwing open the door and practically skipping down the hallway, right past the door where Hermione was getting ready on the other side.
Inside that door, A nervous but eager Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands, while Ginny stood above her, wand in hand, setting Hermione's long curls into an elegant updo.
Few words had been exchanged between the two women. Hermione was so nervous she could barely speak, and Ginny was busy concentrating on turning Hermione into the perfect bride. She had done Hermione's makeup very naturally; Hermione's eyes had been lined with a dark brown eyeliner followed by a shimmery dark brown shadow to slightly smudge it. Lighter brown had been swept across her eyelids to bring out the golden-brown flecks in Hermione's honey eyes. Two coats of black mascara, a light smudge of blush, and a few swipes of reddish-pinkish lipstick had been applied to complete Hermione's stunning look.
"Done!"
It appeared that Ginny had finished Hermione's hair so Hermione turned around from her seat on the bed to glance in the mirror. She gasped at what she saw.
Hermione's hair had been pulled back from her face and had all been gathered at the back of her head in a slightly messy, tousled look. At the back, tendrils of hair escaped the knot and hung to Hermione's neck. Around the front, Ginny had cut a few pieces of hair that hung to Hermione's cheekbones, and these little pieces had been left hanging in the front, defining Hermione's strong feminine cheekbones. To finish it off, a few flowers had been placed into the updo in the back, and a sheer veil that reached to Hermione's waist had been placed gently on her head.
"Oh, Ginny, it's beautiful, thank you so much!" Hermione said, springing up and hugging her best female friend. Ginny laughed and said, "You're welcome, Hermione, but you still need to get your dress on! And, come to think of it, me and Lav do to! Hold on a sec Mione."
Ginny cautiously opened the door, peered around to make sure no one was peeking, and beckoned Lavender upstairs to the room. Lavender came hurrying upstairs and gasped when she saw Hermione.
"You look beautiful Mione," she said, and Ginny answered, "Yes, yes, she knows that, but we have to get ready quick before we get Hermione into her dress! Our dresses are in the closet, along with Mackie's dress. Is Justin in his little suit yet?"
"He sure is," Lavender replied, "and he looks adorable! Quite the little gentleman!" Hermione smiled at this as Ginny rushed off to find Mackenzie, who would be Hermione's flower girl.
When Ginny returned with the little girl, the next several minutes were a frenzied rush to get ready. Ginny helped Mackie into her dress, a little powder blue ball gown, while Lavender slipped into her own dress. Hermione had chosen simple, slim dresses that flowed straight down on the two women's elegant curves. They had tiny spaghetti straps and were in the same beautiful powder blue colour as the flower girl's dress, one of Hermione's favourite colours. When Lavender was in the dress, she quickly pulled Mackenzie's strait, jet black hair into two little pigtails as Ginny slipped into her own dress. Lastly, the two women gave their hair large, soft curls and pinned their hair back on one side with beautiful combs that Hermione had provided them with. They were a beautiful silver colour and had dainty little flowers on them made of diamonds. Hermione's mother had worn them at her wedding and Hermione knew that she wanted Ginny and Lavender to wear them at hers.
Finally, it was time for the major task: getting Hermione into her wedding dress. After 15 minutes of struggling with the clasps and ribbons, Hermione was in the dress and she looked gorgeous.
"Draco's gonna have a heart attack when he sees you, Mione," Lavender said.
"Yea, if he doesn't jump on her first!" Ginny joked, and the three women laughed as Ginny took Mackenzie by the hand and the four girls, after checking to see that the coast was clear, made their way downstairs.
It was time for the wedding.
The guests were all seated outside, Draco had taken his place at the altar with Harry, and Ron was waiting at the door with Justin, both of them smiling at how beautiful she looked. Hermione looked at him curiously before asking him, "Ron, shouldn't you be outside?" Ron shrugged his shoulders before walking towards her, clearing his throat and saying, "Hermione Granger, may I have the honour of walking you down the aisle?"
Hermione gasped and nodded her head as tears filled her eyes. She jumped into Ron's arms, enclosing him in a giant hug and thanking him over and over. If her father couldn't be there to walk her to the altar, Ron was the next best choice.
As the music began to play (Madam Pomfrey was actually an amazingly good piano player) Hermione composed herself and Ron cast a warmth spell on everyone at the door.
Everyone at the door made their way down to the lake's edge and stopped just behind a patch of trees. An opening in the trees led right onto the beautiful silver runner and created a sort of archway for everyone to walk through. Mackenzie led the way, tossing beautiful blood red rose petals from her little basket. Justin followed, carrying the rings on a tiny red velvet pillow. Behind him, Ginny and Lavender walked single file, carrying small matching bundles of red roses.
Finally, last but definitely not least, a beaming Hermione and an extremely proud Ron made their way down the aisle. As they passed Mrs. Weasley, Hermione heard her say to the man in front of her, "That's my son, walking Mione down the aisle!"
Hermione smiled and continued to the altar, her eyes glued to the silver eyes of one stunningly handsome man standing, waiting for her. Draco's choice in tuxedos was a perfect one as the silvery grey vest under the pitch black of his jacket made his eyes stand out enormously. He was so handsome, and she was so lucky.
Standing at the altar, Draco couldn't take his eyes off of his angelic, soon-to-be wife. She was, beyond a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Everything about her right now was perfect. Her hair, her dress, everything! Deep within Hermione's honey eyes, Draco saw pure bliss, the happiest he had ever seen her. She was so beautiful, and he was so lucky.
The music stopped and Ron passed Hermione onto Draco. She stood across from him, lost in his eyes, with a smile on her face. Dumbledore stood before them, and began his speech.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered her today to witness the joyous union between this man, and this woman. Throughout their journey on the path that we call life, they have both encountered joy and heartache, pain and ecstasy. Today, those paths will merge into one, and they will begin a new journey on a new path, together. They will encounter hardships and blissful moments, but they will encounter these together. Love will prevail over hardships, and love will intensify those blissful moments. If there are no objections, we will continue.
No one made a sound. Dumbledore smiled and continued, "Do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife, to laugh with you in joy, to grieve with you in sorrow, to grow with you in love, to be faithful to you alone, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Draco replied, his eyes never leaving Hermione's.
"Do you, Hermione Jane Granger, take Draco Lucius Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband, to laugh with you in joy, to grieve with you in sorrow, to grow with you in love, to be faithful to you alone, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Hermione replied, smiling at Draco.
"Do we have the rings?" Justin handed the rings to Dumbledore. He handed one of the rings to Hermione. "Hermione?"
"Draco, take this ring as a symbol of my love and fidelity." With that she slipped the ring onto Draco's finger.
Dumbledore handed the other ring to Draco. "Draco?"
"Hermione, take this ring as a symbol of my love and fidelity." With that he slipped the ring onto Hermione's finger.
Dumbledore smiled broadly this time, lifted up his hands and said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!"
Draco and Hermione grinned and Draco swept Hermione into his arms, giving her a passionate kiss and pouring all of his love into her. Everybody seated there cheered as snow showered down upon the newlyweds, and love and happiness seemed to radiate from them. They broke apart, stars shining in their eyes, and ran down the aisle back towards the house, hands clasped, with everyone following them.
The wedding reception was wonderful. Everyone enjoyed Mrs. Weasley's fine cooking, Fred and George's music, and the beautiful flowers that Professor Sprout had brought along. After a delicious dinner and dessert, Hermione and Draco got up onto to dance floor (Harry had transfigured it from a table) and had their first dance as husband and wife.
As a slow, romantic song played in the background, Draco pulled Hermione close to him as Hermione wound her arms around Draco's neck and the two newlyweds swayed together. Hermione looked deep into Draco's eyes and Draco looked right back into Hermione's bright orbs. No words needed to be exchanged between the two; they were just content in each others arms, basking in their love. Hermione sighed and laid her head on Draco's chest, closing her eyes and smiling. Draco rested his chin gently on top of Hermione's head and closed his own eyes, savouring the moment.
Everyone looked upon them smiling, some with tears in their eyes, for they knew that Hermione and Draco were soulmates, each other's true love. Fate had brought them back together after all those years, and fate would keep them together for all eternity.
*** ***** ***
AN- Only one more chapter left! I struggled with the end of this chapter, trying to avoid the clichéd ending of last chapter, but alas, I'm not a good enough author for that. I think that this one will suffice though. What do you all think? I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it's Spring Break so I was able to get it written for y'all. I've also started writing the first chapter for my next fic! It's a Draco/Hermione one again but it is a completely different idea. I nixed the idea of a sequel or two to this one because I really didn't get any feedback for it, but that just means that I can start on this next story faster! I would REALLY love some reviews for this chapter, and I hope that at least some of the 54 people who's author alert lists that I am on will review! :) Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and please give me some feedback as this is the second to last chapter.
Now, I'm going to do something that I've done only once before. I'm going to answer my reviews! :) Hopefully, you will want to review also because then I will answer you back! So here goes:
*luver-of-Tom: Of course I didn't forget you! I will always update my stories, no matter how long it takes me! :)
*buffy37205: Glad you loved chapter 18! And thanks for helping out, it did help he get the last update up. I'm not sure about the fate of my site though....
*jsgurl: Glad you like it! Thanks for the cookie! :)
*natyslacks: Aww it's good to know that I was able to touch someone with his sweet proposal. Hope this update is soon enough for you!
*Lindiel Eryn: Thanks for not minding the clichéd ending! Hope you don't mind this one either! lol
*Gilraen Telemnar: Thanks for pointing out my mistake early! You're very perceptive! Thank for liking the chapter too!
*DMHGshipper100%: Glad you loved this story! Hope you check out my new story when I get it written!
*dracoandhermioneforever88: No problem. Thanks for reviewing! :)
*Darcicy: Thanks for the review, glad you loved it and are happy!
*Ellie: Glad you loved it, I'll definitely continue it until the end!
*CraZkCfish: Thanks! I'm glad you love it! Hope your geometry went alright!
*Taintless: I know there wasn't much action... but I'm glad you thought it wasn't needed! Thanks for saying that my characters are realistic, it's what I've been trying to strive for. Thanks for your comments on all the relationships, Justin, and the story in general! :)
*silent voices: I hope this update is soon enough, and thanks for understanding!
*Starling94: I'm glad your computer works now! And I'm glad you like the story! You've been one of my most consistent reviewers, reviewing since the very beginning! Thanks for sticking with the story and I hope you read and review my next one once I write and post it! :)
So there you have it! Thank you to everyone who read but didn't review also! Keep reading, keep/start reviewing, and I'll see you guys with the next and final *sniff* chappie! :):) ~FieryPhoenix
Summary: A fic that takes place after Hogwarts. Hermione left the magical world behind after a messy breakup with Krum and became a muggle teacher. Years later she discovers that one of her new students is a Malfoy. What will happen when Draco enters her life?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. The ones you don't recognize belong to me.
!!!Now, on with the long-awaited chapter!!!
Chapter 19- Winter Wonderland Wedding
That night, Hermione sat in her room, gazing out upon the thousands of stars surrounding the moon. The last bit of daylight was fading away behind the snow covered hills, making them seem as if they were gleaming with a blood red glow. It was truly beautiful, and Hermione loved the days that she spent with Ron, Harry, Lavender, Ginny, and the kids in their small, cozy cottage homes.
When she and Draco got married, where would they live? The Malfoy Manor? Hermione shivered. There was just something about that place that gave her the creeps. Partly she guessed it was because Lucius Malfoy had once resided there. And maybe it was also because Pansy Parkinson had also lived there for several years, as Draco's wife. But mostly she figured that it was because it was just that—a manor. She had lived in small places all of her life and she loved the cosiness of them. She had no desire to live in some huge, cold, mansion. But, alas, it was where Justin and Draco lived and she expected that once she and Draco got married, she would live there too.
"Hey Mione, what are you up to?" Hermione jumped slightly and turned around, smiling.
"Draco, don't ever sneak up on me again. And I am just admiring the view. I just love this lake, and all the trees around it."
"It is beautiful isn't it?" Draco said, coming up behind Hermione and putting his arms around her neck, resting his chin on her head.
"It's absolutely breathtaking. Just look at the snow covering everything," Hermione answered. Draco obliged and stared transfixed, watching the snow lightly falling from seemingly nothingness above to blanket the ground in a sparkling white cover.
"Let's get married here, in the snow."
Draco surprised even himself when he said that. It had just come spilling out of his mouth without him thinking about it. But it was true, it was what he wanted, and he knew it was what Hermione wanted.
Hermione whipped her head around quickly and gazed into his shining silver eyes. She didn't know if he was telling the truth but one look in those eyes told her he wanted this badly. She smiled widely at the thought but then it hit her—there would only be snow for a couple more months. And she sure didn't want to wait until next year. She voiced this concern to Draco and he just smiled and said, "Well, I guess we'll just have to do it in a few months then. Say, end of February?"
Hermione laughed and kissed him deeply.
"I'll take that as a yes then," he said, and Hermione answered, "Yes, of course, yes! Oh Draco, this is my dream wedding, thank you!"
The two of them stood like that in each others arms, Hermione's head buried in Draco's chest and Draco's chin resting on Hermione's head. Both of them had smiles on their faces as they just stood there, together.
Finally, Draco said, "Well, Mione, you should be getting to bed. We have plenty of planning to do before we return to Hogwarts—" Draco was cut off by a huge yawn and Hermione giggled.
"Well, I guess I'll be getting to bed to," said Draco as Mione grinned at him. She grabbed his hand and led him over to the plush, lavender and white-clad bed. They slipped under the luxurious silk bedspread and settled into each others arms. Hermione looked up into Draco's steely grey eyes and said, "I love you Draco."
"I love you too, Hermione," Draco replied. After a soft, sweet kiss, Hermione rested her head beside Draco's, feeling warm and safe in Draco's strong but gentle embrace. She sighed lightly and drifted off to sleep with a contented smile on her face.
*****
Excited squeals filled the house the following morning as Hermione and Draco told everyone about their wedding plans.
"Oh, Hermione! You're getting married right here in our own backyard!" Ginny said excitedly, and Hermione could already see Ginny's thoughts and plans going through her head a mile an minute.
Hermione laughed and turned to Ron, who had inquired about the exact day for the wedding. Hermione hesitated slightly because she and Draco hadn't exactly figured that out. They knew that they wanted it to be the end of February but that was all.
"February 24th," Hermione blurted out suddenly. She turned her head sheepishly towards Draco to see his reaction to her sudden decision. He seemed surprised but in her honey eyes he could tell that there was something special about that day.
"That's right, February 24th," he answered, smiling at Hermione as she smiled gratefully back at him.
"That doesn't even leave us two months!" said Lavender, "we should get started right away! Hermione, when you get ready, me and Ginny are taking you dress robe shopping. The boys can take Draco to get his wedding robes while we're at it!" Lavender started to head towards the stairs to get ready when Hermione interrupted her.
"Wait."
Lavender froze and the others all looked at her expectantly.
"I know I'm a witch, and I know that magical weddings are much different than muggle weddings -although I'm not sure how since I've never been to one— but if it's alright with Draco, I'd like to have a muggle wedding. My mother and I would always imagine my wedding together and plan how the wonderful day would go. My one wish for this wedding is for it to be muggle."
Hermione waited nervously for the verdict and let out a sigh of relief when Draco answered, "Honey, the wedding will be muggle, if that is what you truly want. I promised that I would keep you happy and I will keep that promise. But! I have no idea how a muggle wedding goes so please, enlighten me."
Hermione spent the next hour telling her very interested fiancé and group of friends (except, of course, Harry, who already knew about muggle weddings) all about how a muggle wedding worked. They were extremely excited to get started' it seemed like such an odd but wonderful adventure!
"So, Hermione, when you're ready, Lav and I will take you wedding dress shopping," Ginny concluded.
"And Ron and I will take Draco shopping for his tuxedo," Harry said.
"I thought it was called a tookado?" Ron said, confused, and everyone laughed as they hurried around, getting ready for their day of shopping.
*****
"Oh Hermione, that's gorgeous!" Lavender gushed, gazing up at Hermione in her eleventh wedding dress that she had tried on.
"This is definitely the one," Hermione said, gazing dreamily at her self in the mirror as she twirled.
The girls had been in the muggle dress shop for almost two hours now and Ginny and Lavender were ecstatic to hear that Hermione had finally found her dress.
And it was a truly beautiful dress, especially on Hermione. It was a pure, crisp white dress that made her dark skin and light brown hair stand out immensely. The style of the dress was like a princess' dress; it had a tight fitting bodice and a large, flowing skirt. The bodice had tiny, off the shoulder straps and a bateau neckline that cut sharply across Hermione's front. It was embellished with diamonds and crystals scattered across the front, forming delicate little flowers. The back was nearly bare. There was a rectangular opening down the back of the bodice, going nearly all the way down. This opening was laced up with a rich, silk ribbon. The bodice ended just below Hermione's waist, around her hips, in a soft, subtle curve. The full bottom trailed from below the bodice, plain, except for a ring of the diamond and crystal flowers around the bottom. A small train trailed from the back, not to big that people could step on it, but elegantly trailing just behind the gown.
"I'll take it."
*****
Meanwhile, across town, Draco was trying on the perfect tuxedo. It was a simple, midnight black tuxedo, with a jacket that fell to around Draco's upper hips and plain black, strait-leg pants. The very bottom layer consisted of a crisp, white collared shirt. This was covered by a platinum silver vest that Harry had said would bring out Draco's eyes and go well with the white dress Hermione would almost certainly choose. Draco had decided against the bowtie, saying it looked silly, so he had sent Ron to fetch him a regular tie. Ron had done amazingly well and had been able to retrieve a plain black, elegant tie. Harry had said that the vest was enough and that Draco should tone down the rest of the outfit with a simple black tie.
The final result was amazing. Draco emerged from the dressing room and the female saleslady was practically drooling over him. The sleek black with his blond hair was an amazing combination. Harry and Ron smiled to themselves.
"We'll take it."
*****
The adults returned home with their treasures and hid them away until the wedding. The rest of the Christmas break was spent doing planning, planning, and more planning.
It had been decided that the wedding would take place at the edge of the frozen lake, and that the reception would be brought into the warmth of Harry and Ginny's large kitchen and living room. Molly Weasley would prepare all of the food and beverages and the cake, and Fred and George would provide music from their large collection. Professor Sprout had agreed to lend the couple a large array of beautiful, cold-resistant flowering plants that she had been growing, and Colin Creevey, who had become a professional photographer, had agreed to be the photographer for the wedding.
The wedding rings had been purchased, they had gotten the marriage license, and, to the joy of Hermione, Dumbledore had agreed to perform the ceremony.
The day before Hermione and Draco were to have returned to Hogwarts, they sent out the wedding invitations. Draco was reading over them when his eyes fell upon the date for the wedding. He realized he never had asked Hermione why the day was so important. When he asked Hermione about this, she simply answered, "It was my parent's wedding anniversary," with a small smile on her face.
Draco smiled at this and went back to reading the invitations. However, as Draco sifted through the small stack of letters, he noticed that Hermione's parents had not been invited. Of course, he had noticed that the Grangers were never present at Christmas or any other special holiday, and Hermione never seemed to write or receive letters to or from them. He decided that he needed to find out what had happened to them, why Hermione wanted their wedding to be the same date as her parents, even though they weren't part of her life.
Hermione looked at Draco when he asked her, extremely surprised at his question. Draco immediately regretted asking her when she looked at him. Hurt and pain swam behind her honey, tear-filled eyes. But Hermione took a deep breath and prepared to tell him the awful truth that nobody, not even Harry or Ron, had been told before.
"They died."
As she said this a solitary tear rolled down her cheek. Draco grabbed her hand and squeezed it encouragingly. Hermione continued.
"It was in seventh year, not long after Krum left me. I got an owl from my aunt telling me the news. They had been visiting my aunt and uncle for the weekend. When they left it was pouring. There was no moon and they were out in the country so there were no streetlamps. They got into an accident that night. They died instantly. They left me. I had no boyfriend, no mother, and no father. I had no one that loved me."
Draco just held Hermione as she cried. He knew what it felt like to lose his parents. But to lose them both so unexpectedly.... Draco shivered and held Hermione even closer, trying to shield her from all the pain that she had experienced in what was supposed to be a happy time.
Hermione cried herself to sleep in Draco's arms. She looked so peaceful, just like an angel. Draco carried her to the couch and covered her with a blanket that was obviously knitted by Mrs. Weasley. He then quickly and quietly finished sending out the invitations and left to search out Ron and Harry.
*****
After that day, Hermione spoke no more of her parents, and Draco said nothing about them. Hermione and Draco headed back to Hogwarts while Justin stayed at the Weasley's house since Pansy had lost all custody of Justin.
January and the beginning of February flew by for Hermione and Draco once they had settled back into their routine at Hogwarts. Before they knew it, it was the eve of the wedding. Hermione and Draco Flooed to the Weasley's that night so that they could prepare everything they needed to prepare the day before the wedding. Most of the staff of Hogwarts, all of whom had been invited to the wedding, would be Flooing there the next day (of course, some staff members needed to stay with the students and weren't able to attend).
The night of February 23rd was a busy night, full of reunions, last minute checks on everything, and the setting up of the ceremony and reception areas. Hermione's dress was hung in one room, ready for her, and Draco's tux was set out in another room, waiting for him. The bride and groom went to bed that night exhausted but extremely excited.
Finally, the morning of the wedding arrived. Soft, white snow was falling, much to the delight of Hermione and Draco. Snow just seemed to top of their Winter Wonderland Wedding.
Hurriedly, Draco and Hermione ate a plentiful breakfast before Hermione headed off to get ready with her maid of honour, Ginny, and Draco headed off to get ready with his best man, Harry. Lavender, Ron, and the kids remained downstairs, to put the finishing touches on everything and greet the guests as the began to arrive.
Upstairs, in the grooms room, Harry got into his own black suit and then helped Draco into his stunning tuxedo.
"You're really lucky, you know mate," Harry said once Draco was ready, "Hermione's a great girl. Strong, brave, determined, good-hearted, and powerful. Very forgiving too, if you ask me. She shocked us all that day at Hogsmeade. She'd been gone for almost eight years, just disappeared from out lives, leaving us worried sick about her; there wasn't one day when I didn't wonder what her life was like. And then she just comes traipsing back into Hogsmeade and our lives one day outta the blue with you tagging along. You, our enemy from Hogwarts, who countless times called Hermione a mudblood."
Draco flinched at this foul word and his memories of hurting Hermione with it, but Harry continued.
"We were speechless. And angry. It was almost as if Hermione had betrayed us. But she told us that you had changed, and we knew better than to ignore Hermione's judgement. We reluctantly accepted you. Then later that day Hermione comes crying to us. And she was crying over you. We had seen Hermione in immense pain over a guy before and we didn't want it to happen again, not when we had just re-found her. We were so angry at you, Draco. We thought maybe Hermione's judgement had been slipping over the years. But do you know what happened then? We realized that you had done something that we had failed to do. You had found Hermione and you had brought her back. We couldn't do that. No matter how many times we wrote to Hermione, begging her to return, she wouldn't. But after one conversation with you, she followed right back into her magical life. We knew we couldn't be mad at you anymore after you brought her back to us. And then there was the incident with Justin and the Death Eaters. When you carried Hermione through those doors, your eyes gave away everything. You cared so deeply for Hermione, and your love for her had been mounting ever since you first met her after all those years. We could see that you were scared to love her fully though, to be with her. Draco, have you ever loved someone before?
Draco looked up into Harry's eyes and replied, "Only my mother and Justin. I had never felt the love for a woman before. I was afraid. Holding a grudge was the only thing that I knew how to do."
"But when you saw Hermione awake after she had saved the life of your son, one of the only people you've ever loved—"
"I knew that she was the one," Draco finished. "I hadn't let anyone touch my heart like that before. I actually didn't feel that I deserved Hermione. But she forgave me. She is my life. She saved me. And I love her."
Harry answered, "I know you do, Draco, and I can honestly say that you deserve to have her. The past is the past, and you proved that we can make choices in our lives that change who we set out to be. Hermione is the one for you Draco, and you're the one for her. So get out there and marry her!" Harry added with a grin.
Draco returned the grin and gave Harry a quick hug before throwing open the door and practically skipping down the hallway, right past the door where Hermione was getting ready on the other side.
Inside that door, A nervous but eager Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, wringing her hands, while Ginny stood above her, wand in hand, setting Hermione's long curls into an elegant updo.
Few words had been exchanged between the two women. Hermione was so nervous she could barely speak, and Ginny was busy concentrating on turning Hermione into the perfect bride. She had done Hermione's makeup very naturally; Hermione's eyes had been lined with a dark brown eyeliner followed by a shimmery dark brown shadow to slightly smudge it. Lighter brown had been swept across her eyelids to bring out the golden-brown flecks in Hermione's honey eyes. Two coats of black mascara, a light smudge of blush, and a few swipes of reddish-pinkish lipstick had been applied to complete Hermione's stunning look.
"Done!"
It appeared that Ginny had finished Hermione's hair so Hermione turned around from her seat on the bed to glance in the mirror. She gasped at what she saw.
Hermione's hair had been pulled back from her face and had all been gathered at the back of her head in a slightly messy, tousled look. At the back, tendrils of hair escaped the knot and hung to Hermione's neck. Around the front, Ginny had cut a few pieces of hair that hung to Hermione's cheekbones, and these little pieces had been left hanging in the front, defining Hermione's strong feminine cheekbones. To finish it off, a few flowers had been placed into the updo in the back, and a sheer veil that reached to Hermione's waist had been placed gently on her head.
"Oh, Ginny, it's beautiful, thank you so much!" Hermione said, springing up and hugging her best female friend. Ginny laughed and said, "You're welcome, Hermione, but you still need to get your dress on! And, come to think of it, me and Lav do to! Hold on a sec Mione."
Ginny cautiously opened the door, peered around to make sure no one was peeking, and beckoned Lavender upstairs to the room. Lavender came hurrying upstairs and gasped when she saw Hermione.
"You look beautiful Mione," she said, and Ginny answered, "Yes, yes, she knows that, but we have to get ready quick before we get Hermione into her dress! Our dresses are in the closet, along with Mackie's dress. Is Justin in his little suit yet?"
"He sure is," Lavender replied, "and he looks adorable! Quite the little gentleman!" Hermione smiled at this as Ginny rushed off to find Mackenzie, who would be Hermione's flower girl.
When Ginny returned with the little girl, the next several minutes were a frenzied rush to get ready. Ginny helped Mackie into her dress, a little powder blue ball gown, while Lavender slipped into her own dress. Hermione had chosen simple, slim dresses that flowed straight down on the two women's elegant curves. They had tiny spaghetti straps and were in the same beautiful powder blue colour as the flower girl's dress, one of Hermione's favourite colours. When Lavender was in the dress, she quickly pulled Mackenzie's strait, jet black hair into two little pigtails as Ginny slipped into her own dress. Lastly, the two women gave their hair large, soft curls and pinned their hair back on one side with beautiful combs that Hermione had provided them with. They were a beautiful silver colour and had dainty little flowers on them made of diamonds. Hermione's mother had worn them at her wedding and Hermione knew that she wanted Ginny and Lavender to wear them at hers.
Finally, it was time for the major task: getting Hermione into her wedding dress. After 15 minutes of struggling with the clasps and ribbons, Hermione was in the dress and she looked gorgeous.
"Draco's gonna have a heart attack when he sees you, Mione," Lavender said.
"Yea, if he doesn't jump on her first!" Ginny joked, and the three women laughed as Ginny took Mackenzie by the hand and the four girls, after checking to see that the coast was clear, made their way downstairs.
It was time for the wedding.
The guests were all seated outside, Draco had taken his place at the altar with Harry, and Ron was waiting at the door with Justin, both of them smiling at how beautiful she looked. Hermione looked at him curiously before asking him, "Ron, shouldn't you be outside?" Ron shrugged his shoulders before walking towards her, clearing his throat and saying, "Hermione Granger, may I have the honour of walking you down the aisle?"
Hermione gasped and nodded her head as tears filled her eyes. She jumped into Ron's arms, enclosing him in a giant hug and thanking him over and over. If her father couldn't be there to walk her to the altar, Ron was the next best choice.
As the music began to play (Madam Pomfrey was actually an amazingly good piano player) Hermione composed herself and Ron cast a warmth spell on everyone at the door.
Everyone at the door made their way down to the lake's edge and stopped just behind a patch of trees. An opening in the trees led right onto the beautiful silver runner and created a sort of archway for everyone to walk through. Mackenzie led the way, tossing beautiful blood red rose petals from her little basket. Justin followed, carrying the rings on a tiny red velvet pillow. Behind him, Ginny and Lavender walked single file, carrying small matching bundles of red roses.
Finally, last but definitely not least, a beaming Hermione and an extremely proud Ron made their way down the aisle. As they passed Mrs. Weasley, Hermione heard her say to the man in front of her, "That's my son, walking Mione down the aisle!"
Hermione smiled and continued to the altar, her eyes glued to the silver eyes of one stunningly handsome man standing, waiting for her. Draco's choice in tuxedos was a perfect one as the silvery grey vest under the pitch black of his jacket made his eyes stand out enormously. He was so handsome, and she was so lucky.
Standing at the altar, Draco couldn't take his eyes off of his angelic, soon-to-be wife. She was, beyond a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Everything about her right now was perfect. Her hair, her dress, everything! Deep within Hermione's honey eyes, Draco saw pure bliss, the happiest he had ever seen her. She was so beautiful, and he was so lucky.
The music stopped and Ron passed Hermione onto Draco. She stood across from him, lost in his eyes, with a smile on her face. Dumbledore stood before them, and began his speech.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered her today to witness the joyous union between this man, and this woman. Throughout their journey on the path that we call life, they have both encountered joy and heartache, pain and ecstasy. Today, those paths will merge into one, and they will begin a new journey on a new path, together. They will encounter hardships and blissful moments, but they will encounter these together. Love will prevail over hardships, and love will intensify those blissful moments. If there are no objections, we will continue.
No one made a sound. Dumbledore smiled and continued, "Do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife, to laugh with you in joy, to grieve with you in sorrow, to grow with you in love, to be faithful to you alone, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Draco replied, his eyes never leaving Hermione's.
"Do you, Hermione Jane Granger, take Draco Lucius Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband, to laugh with you in joy, to grieve with you in sorrow, to grow with you in love, to be faithful to you alone, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Hermione replied, smiling at Draco.
"Do we have the rings?" Justin handed the rings to Dumbledore. He handed one of the rings to Hermione. "Hermione?"
"Draco, take this ring as a symbol of my love and fidelity." With that she slipped the ring onto Draco's finger.
Dumbledore handed the other ring to Draco. "Draco?"
"Hermione, take this ring as a symbol of my love and fidelity." With that he slipped the ring onto Hermione's finger.
Dumbledore smiled broadly this time, lifted up his hands and said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!"
Draco and Hermione grinned and Draco swept Hermione into his arms, giving her a passionate kiss and pouring all of his love into her. Everybody seated there cheered as snow showered down upon the newlyweds, and love and happiness seemed to radiate from them. They broke apart, stars shining in their eyes, and ran down the aisle back towards the house, hands clasped, with everyone following them.
The wedding reception was wonderful. Everyone enjoyed Mrs. Weasley's fine cooking, Fred and George's music, and the beautiful flowers that Professor Sprout had brought along. After a delicious dinner and dessert, Hermione and Draco got up onto to dance floor (Harry had transfigured it from a table) and had their first dance as husband and wife.
As a slow, romantic song played in the background, Draco pulled Hermione close to him as Hermione wound her arms around Draco's neck and the two newlyweds swayed together. Hermione looked deep into Draco's eyes and Draco looked right back into Hermione's bright orbs. No words needed to be exchanged between the two; they were just content in each others arms, basking in their love. Hermione sighed and laid her head on Draco's chest, closing her eyes and smiling. Draco rested his chin gently on top of Hermione's head and closed his own eyes, savouring the moment.
Everyone looked upon them smiling, some with tears in their eyes, for they knew that Hermione and Draco were soulmates, each other's true love. Fate had brought them back together after all those years, and fate would keep them together for all eternity.
*** ***** ***
AN- Only one more chapter left! I struggled with the end of this chapter, trying to avoid the clichéd ending of last chapter, but alas, I'm not a good enough author for that. I think that this one will suffice though. What do you all think? I hope you enjoyed this chapter; it's Spring Break so I was able to get it written for y'all. I've also started writing the first chapter for my next fic! It's a Draco/Hermione one again but it is a completely different idea. I nixed the idea of a sequel or two to this one because I really didn't get any feedback for it, but that just means that I can start on this next story faster! I would REALLY love some reviews for this chapter, and I hope that at least some of the 54 people who's author alert lists that I am on will review! :) Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and please give me some feedback as this is the second to last chapter.
Now, I'm going to do something that I've done only once before. I'm going to answer my reviews! :) Hopefully, you will want to review also because then I will answer you back! So here goes:
*luver-of-Tom: Of course I didn't forget you! I will always update my stories, no matter how long it takes me! :)
*buffy37205: Glad you loved chapter 18! And thanks for helping out, it did help he get the last update up. I'm not sure about the fate of my site though....
*jsgurl: Glad you like it! Thanks for the cookie! :)
*natyslacks: Aww it's good to know that I was able to touch someone with his sweet proposal. Hope this update is soon enough for you!
*Lindiel Eryn: Thanks for not minding the clichéd ending! Hope you don't mind this one either! lol
*Gilraen Telemnar: Thanks for pointing out my mistake early! You're very perceptive! Thank for liking the chapter too!
*DMHGshipper100%: Glad you loved this story! Hope you check out my new story when I get it written!
*dracoandhermioneforever88: No problem. Thanks for reviewing! :)
*Darcicy: Thanks for the review, glad you loved it and are happy!
*Ellie: Glad you loved it, I'll definitely continue it until the end!
*CraZkCfish: Thanks! I'm glad you love it! Hope your geometry went alright!
*Taintless: I know there wasn't much action... but I'm glad you thought it wasn't needed! Thanks for saying that my characters are realistic, it's what I've been trying to strive for. Thanks for your comments on all the relationships, Justin, and the story in general! :)
*silent voices: I hope this update is soon enough, and thanks for understanding!
*Starling94: I'm glad your computer works now! And I'm glad you like the story! You've been one of my most consistent reviewers, reviewing since the very beginning! Thanks for sticking with the story and I hope you read and review my next one once I write and post it! :)
So there you have it! Thank you to everyone who read but didn't review also! Keep reading, keep/start reviewing, and I'll see you guys with the next and final *sniff* chappie! :):) ~FieryPhoenix