Disclaimer: It's not mine, I just enjoy messing with their lives.
A/N: Okay, thank you soooooooo much everyone for the fantastic reviews you left me, I'm glad the chapter met with your approval. Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to EgyptsStar because her review just touched me with it's heartfelt sincerity (not that y'all aren't sincere, but ya know what I mean).
A/N 2: IMPORTANT! Okay, now that I've got your attention, I would like to address a reviewer, Brierhart. In chapter 19 I used the phrase "deaf and dumb" unthinkingly that it would bring offense to some readers. So let me first off apologise for any negative connotations it has brought, that was never my intention. It was a bad choice of words influenced by American ignorance. I know persons who are deaf, and I understand that they are not dumb, but just as intelligent as others, if not more so. They simply have to express themselves differently. So thank you to Brierhart for pointing that out to me. Now without further ramblings, the next installment of the story!
Take Time to Smell the Roses
Chapter Twenty Seven
"Oh my gosh there is no way I'll be able to finish everything!" Hermione cried out loud, to the amusement of Ginny, Lavender, Parvarti, Mrs. Weasley, and her mother, Helen.
"Yes you will, you already have most of it done anyways," Molly Weasley placed a comforting hand over the younger girl's clammy one. "But let's go over the checklist once again if it will help."
"Okay," Hermione took several deep breaths and pulled out a very worn and creased piece of parchment from her pocket. "Dresses."
"We're going to get them as soon as we're done here with lunch," Helen responded.
"Tuxedos," Hermione ticked off the next item on the list.
"Blaise, Severus, Harry, and Ron are taking care of that today," Ginny smiled, automatically looking down at her ring.
"Flowers."
"Molly and I are going to the florist while you four find dresses," Helen laughed at her daughter's sigh of relief. "And Albus has already arranged for the house elves to cater the meal at Hogwarts."
"And the boys have already been there to help the designer with the seating arrangements and such," Ginny chimed in again. "Hermione, nothing will go wrong, everything has been taken care of, we just have to get our dresses and then the day after tomorrow you'll officially be Lady Hermione Snape once again."
"I know, I'm just so nervous I'll mess something up," Hermione blushed, realising she did sound silly.
"Well you won't, not with us to help you," Lavender leaned over and hugged her around the shoulders.
"Now, let's get out of here and go get the wedding dress of your dreams," Parvarti stood up as did the rest of them as soon as the check had been paid.
Walking out of Madam Puddifoot's where they had been eating lunch, Helen and Molly headed to Florence Florencia's Fanciful Flowers to arrange the delivery times for the boutonnières, flower bouquets, corsages, and aisle and table decorations. Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvarti headed in the opposite direction to Ezerali Formalwear where Hermione had arranged appointments for them to have their dresses made.
"Lady Snape, a pleasure to see you again!" Wahid Ezerali greeted with a kiss to Hermione's hand a few moments after they were shown into a large fitting room.
"Thank you Mr. Ezerali, the pleasure is mine I can assure you," Hermione inclined her head, once again acting like the aristocrat she was expected to be. Behind her, the other three girls had to hide smirks of amusement at seeing their friend acting like a snob.
"And Miss Weasley, a pleasure to see you again," he smiled charmingly at Ginny who smiled timidly at him.
"Now Mr. Ezerali, I think it best to begin with the bridesmaid dresses," Hermione dictated, and immediately several apprentices showed up, and three stands appeared. "The dresses are all to be a light purple and floor length, but any other details are at the discretion of my bridesmaids."
"Of course, milady," Wahid bowed slightly, and then gestured for Ginny, Lavender, and Parvarti to each move onto a stand which they did.
Hermione stepped back to take a seat in the chair that appeared seemingly out of nowhere for her, and watched as the girls dresses took shape. The first to finish was Ginny. She had decided on spaghetti straps, and a modest neckline that was almost straight except for a series of little gathers that gave the fabric some accentuating tucks in the bodice. The gown had an empire waist, starting right underneath her bust, and flared out slightly to the ground. The gown was simple, but looked beautiful on her petite frame, emphasising her neck and shoulders.
Next to finish was Parvarti. She had chosen a halter-top neckline that was low enough to reveal a small amount of cleavage, but was still tasteful. The dress was a little looser than Ginny's, and the skirt of the gown was fuller and swished around her when she moved.
Last to finish was Lavender, but her gown was no less stunning then the rest. Her gown had thin ribbon cord straps, and a straight neckline across mid-chest. The dress had a series of tucks on the left side, emphasising her small waist. The skirt of the gown, like Parvarti's, flared out to the ground.
"Oh you are all so beautiful!" Wahid stepped back to admire then all, kissing his fingertips. "Such beauty makes my heart weep in gladness!"
"Thank you Mr. Ezerali," they all blushed as he continued to lavish them with compliments.
"Now my dear, it's your turn to be turned into a beautiful bride," Mr. Ezerali motioned to Hermione as soon as the other girl's gowns were safely boxed up for the trip back to the burrow, which is where everyone was staying until the wedding. "Please step up onto the platform, and we'll begin!"
Hermione took the hand he offered to her and stepped up onto the solitary platform and began discussing what she wanted with Mr. Ezerali who was creating her dress himself, without the use of any assistants. The other three girls took a seat along the wall where Hermione had sat previously and watched in awe as Hermione's dress began to take shape. Nearly two hours, and several butterbeers later, the masterpiece was finished.
The dress was made of a lightweight silk, in the purest white any of them had ever seen. The gown was strapless, with a sweetheart neckline, and bone stays in the top to mold it firmly to her trim figure. The skirt of the dress was full and slightly gathered around the waist, giving it almost a panelled effect in the front, while the back of the skirt continued into a small train. On the front of the skirt, around the neckline, and around the waistline, was delicate silver embroidery. To complete the outfit Hermione had a wrap made of matching white silk netting that had the same embroidery on the ends of the shawl.
"He is going to die Hermione!" Lavender squealed.
"I certainly hope not, because then I'd be back to being without a husband now, wouldn't I?" Hermione's eyes filled with laughter as she admired herself in the mirror for a few minutes, something she didn't usually do.
"Why Auntie, you're a vision!" Blaise's voice startled them all.
"Blaise, what are you doing here? Severus isn't here, is he?" Hermione's voice was slightly panicky.
"He's outside, Harry and Ron are with him," Blaise said nonchalantly as he walked over to Ginny and gave her a quick kiss. "And I'm here because we need a colour sample so we can make sure the tuxedos will match your lovely bridesmaid's dresses."
"Oh of course," Hermione turned to Mr. Ezerali. "Mr. Ezerali, if you would be so kind as to give Mr. Zabini here a fabric swatch that's in the colour of my bridesmaid's dresses, please?"
"Of course Lady Snape, right away," he said going into a nearby room, returning a moment later with the requested fabric swatch.
"Thank you," Blaise replied, taking the swatch. Heading back over to Mione he gave her a kiss on the cheek and a cheeky smile. "Have fun ladies! Two days to go!"
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooO
"Oh Merlin, Medusa, and Morgana, I can't do this!" Hermione moaned as she paced back and forth on the day of her wedding in the small room near the great hall that had been transformed into a dressing room for her and Ginny, Parvarti, and Lavender.
"Hermione, you can do this, you want to do this, just relax," Lavender tried to calm her down.
"Relax? RELAX?! How the bloody hell am I supposed to relax?!" Hermione threw her hands up, becoming irrational in her nervousness.
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error, and upon me prov'd,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd," a strong, yet calming and soothing voice came from the doorway.
"Daddy," Hermione turned with a grateful sigh. Shakespeare's sonnets, or anything by Shakespeare for that matter, always calmed her down.
"Hey sweetheart," Marius just stared at his daughter before him for a moment. She looked radiant in her gown and light make-up. Her hair had been curled with some of it pinned up, and the tiara was set just perfectly on top of her head in front of the pinned up curls. Around her neck was a delicate silver chain with a light blue diamond pendant, perfectly matching her earrings. "You look beautiful. I can't believe how grown up you look."
"Thank you Daddy," Hermione smiled, bright eyed, at him, and crossed the room suddenly to engulf him in a hug. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said, trying to keep a tear from leaking out. "If you don't let go you're going to mess up your hair or something."
"I don't care," she replied obstinately, but pulled away a moment later. "Is it time?"
"In just a few minutes," he replied.
"Is everyone situated out there?" Parvarti asked.
"Yes, everyone's here I believe. I don't think I saw any empty seats. Everything's perfect," Marius replied, and the room fell into a comfortable silence.
"All right, it's time," Professor McGonagall stuck her head in the door after knocking.
Marius gave his daughter a smile as he held out his arm for her to take, and patted her hand reassuringly as they left the room, following behind Ginny, Parvarti, and Lavender. Out in the hall, they met up with Blaise, Harry, and Ron who all hugged Hermione before taking their places to the side of the closed doors of the great hall. From inside, the sting quintet could be heard playing the beginning strains of Pachabel's Canon in D Major, and that was the cue for the doors to open.
The great hall had been transformed into a bridal wonderland. Rows of white chairs had been set up, with an aisle of space dividing them that lead to a wicker arch that had been decorated with white roses and ivy. Around the perimeter of the room, white and purple swags of fabric hid the stone walls, and each swag was held up by a wicker trellis decorated with ivy. Also lining the perimeter of the room were small, potted, white rose plants, favours for the wedding guests to take home. The ceiling showed the perfectly clear and starry night sky above.
As the doors opened, a pair of doves flew down the aisle, dropping the white aisle carpet perfectly into place. Rosemary, Lavender's little sister, began parading down the aisle, throwing out purple and white rose petals. A few steps behind her, Basil, Rosemary's twin brother, began marching down the aisle, proudly carrying a silver cushion with the rings attached. Next were Ginny and Blaise, who looked absolutely stunning together as they walked down the aisle perfectly in sync with each other. Parvarti and Harry were next, and once again looked stunning, as did Lavender and Ron who brought up the rear. As they reached the end of the aisle where Headmaster Dumbledore was looking resplendent in robes of dark purple trimmed with silver, each couple parted. The boys went to the Headmaster's left to stand by Severus, while the girls went to the right to stand by Ginny.
A moment after Lavender took her place besides Parvarti, the wedding march began. Helen Granger stood up and turned to look towards the back, followed by the rest of the guests, and all eyes turned towards the great hall entrance. Severus felt his heart skip a beat as he too looked up, preparing himself for one of the most wonderful and memorable days of his life.
A/N: I know, I know, you all hate me desperately for not continuing, but hey, it'll be worth the wait. At least I think it will- maybe I should just stop here, and never finish? I'm just kidding don't shoot me! ducks behind giant boxes of goldfish as reviewers glare and cock their rifles. I swear on my giant boxes of cheddar flavour blasted goldfish with smiley faces that I will carry on and finish the story, posting the next chapter in two weeks, or less. Probably, definitely less. Anywho, the sonnet that Hermione's dad recites to calm her nerves is Shakespeare's 116th sonnet. I have the same habit- anytime that I get nervous or worked up in a tizzy, I'll start reading Shakespeare or reciting Shakespeare to calm myself down. Now as always, review if you like, it's always appreciated, yet it's perfectly all right if you don't. I'm always just as happy to know that people are reading this little thing!