Finale: The Wedding
Here Comes the Bride
Elizabeth Tanner
My morning consisted of me sleeping until precisely 8:45. I showered, ate breakfast, and then dressed in my white slip. My servant, Lysa, helped me prepare for the wedding.
She brought out a large, pink box from my closet. She unwrapped it and pulled the dress from the yellow tissue paper. Then she got to work and began to unbutton the clasps and untie the strings. She helped me slip into it, and then tightened the corset-like back and buttoned the rest of it. She tied the little bow in the front, too.
Finally, she stepped back from me and guided me over to a full-length mirror. "You look absolutely lovely, Miss." Lysa admired.
I studied my reflection. The white wedding dress was the most stunning garment I ever wore. It was completely white—of course—and covered in lace. The sleeves were long and flowing, as was the dress's train. I wore a large gold necklace around my neck. I agreed with Lysa; I did look absolutely stunning.
"Draco is already at the chapel, and it's custom that he doesn't see you in your dress until the actual wedding." Lysa informed me when I asked about him.
I glanced at the large clock above the fireplace. It was time for me to go to the chapel. Lysa and I apparated, of course. Traveling by floo would be totally disastrous on my outfit and hair! Moments later, we arrived in the foyer of the chapel. I could hear chattering in the chapel.
That bloody organ began to play and I saw the two brats walk down the aisle with their flower baskets. The crowd smiled and took pictures, but I felt like the whole thing was totally unnecessary. It was then I saw Draco standing up at the altar. He looked gorgeous, and I was starting to wonder if leaving him was such a good idea. I mean, I could steal from him while still being his wife!
When the brats reached the altar, they went to go sit with that irritating mudblood nanny of theirs. She smiled at them and let them sit next to her. Then that blasted organ music started up again, and Lysa gently shoved my back. I really needed to remind her of the "no physical contact" rule again.
I walked down the aisle, pleased to see all eyes on me. I couldn't help but notice the hatred stares coming from the nanny, the brats, and that soon-to-be mother in-law of mine. As usual, Draco just gave me a blank stare. If he thought anything about me at that moment, I couldn't tell.
"We gather here today to bare witness to the joining of Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Miss Elizabeth Gretel Tanner." The priest said cheerfully. Polite clapping erupted through the church. "These two beautiful people are going to leave this church as one, devoted, happily-married couple. I'm sure I don't need to even ask this, but since it is tradition; does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be wed? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
I looked around. No one moved or spoke… they just sat there, waiting for the moment of silence to end so the vows would occur. Suddenly, a small voice spoke up to the left of me. "I object."
Grooming the Groom
Draco Malfoy
"No," I said sternly. "There is no way you're leaving my hair like that."
"But sir, this is the best way for your wedding! You don't want to slick it back with all the gel like you usually do." My "stylist," Bruno advised.
"Please; it's my wedding." I grabbed the nearest bottle of gel.
"You won't want to be doing that." Bruno said slowly.
"Oh, I think I really would." I muttered, slicking my hair back.
"No, sir—that's not hair gel!"
I glanced at the bottle. Weasley's All-Purpose, Extra-Strength Glue! Whatever your purpose, it's guaranteed to stay put with Weasley's! "Shit!" I cursed. Damn Fred and George Weasley to the fiery depths of hell! "Get this shit out of my hair before it dries!" I ordered.
"Sir, I'm afraid that's some powerful stuff. Once it sets—which it seems to have done already—there's no getting it out."
"You mean…?" I asked, looking at my hair.
"I'm afraid that's your new look for the wedding." Bruno confirmed my nightmare.
"Are you sure nothing will remove this?" I asked desperately.
"Positive." Bruno said with an all-too-cheery voice.
"Why the bloody hell do you carry Extra-Strength glue with you?" I demanded bitterly.
Bruno shrugged. "You just never know when you'll need it." He paused. "Like now, for instance." He grabbed the bottle and began to squirt it into my hair.
"Whoa! What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked incredulously.
"I'm fixing your hair, of course," Bruno rolled his eyes. "If I add more glue here, and here," He touched my hair in different spots. "I should be able to get it looking like it usually does. Only here, it won't come undone if you get in a fight with a water fountain!" Bruno laughed like he made the funniest joke ever.
"Uh, okay." I sputtered dumbly. I didn't have much of a choice.
----
A few hours later, I was on my way to the chapel. The guests would arrive about 20 minutes after me, and Elizabeth would show up another 20 minutes after that. The wedding party already arrived, all dressed up for the occasion. The bride's maid was that Jenny girl Elizabeth spent all her time with. The best man was my cousin.
I waited for 40 minutes for that organ to start playing. When it finally did, my two beautiful daughters walked towards the altar, smiling with their flower baskets. Why would Elizabeth want to take that away from them?
That's when I saw her. She looked so amazingly beautiful in her dress. It was white, sheer, and short. It reached to above her knees; layers of frills making up the skirt. A strand of pearls hung loosely around her neck. The fabric was soft-looking, with little, barely-noticeable flowers imprinted in it. No, it wasn't Elizabeth… it was Granger.
Then the girls went and sat next to their nanny and Elizabeth began to walk down the aisle. She looked nice, too, but I couldn't help but stare at Granger.
"We gather here today to bare witness to the joining of Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Miss Elizabeth Gretel Tanner." The man who was marrying us said. The crowd clapped. "These two beautiful people are going to leave this church as one, devoted, happily-married couple. I'm sure I don't need to even ask this, but since it is tradition; does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be wed? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
Please. I thought desperately. Please, someone—anyone—object. I can't do this. I can't marry Elizabeth.
Seconds passed like hours, and no one said anything. I was nervous. If no one objected, I was going to marry her.
Come on! Someone… I don't care the reason. Just anyone, object!
"I object." I heard the answer to my pleads. I looked in the direction it came from, and my mouth hit the ground.
Giving Her Away
Harry Potter
"Harry!" Hermione ran up to me and draped her arms around my neck. The wedding was due to start in twenty minutes.
"Hey," I said softly. She looked relieved to see me. I chose the seat to her right, knowing that the two aisle seats were for Malfoy's kids.
I still couldn't quite believe that Malfoy had such well-mannered children. I was sure that Hermione must've helped them along a bit.
"How are you doing?" I asked softly. I knew she was in love with Malfoy. She thought about it for a while, and then she owled me her secrets.
"I'm alright." She lied. I knew she was completely heartbroken. I wanted to punch Malfoy in the face… but I knew he was getting married, and weddings were totally inappropriate places to cause scenes. Besides, Malfoy wasn't totally indecent; he invited me, after all.
"You look nice." I complimented Hermione's outfit.
"Thanks." She smiled slightly. She was heartbroken.
"Where did you find something like that?" I asked. It was simply gorgeous… almost antique-looking, but crisp and white and new.
"I, uh…" She looked away. "I made it."
"No way!" I exclaimed, looking her over. "It's great, 'Moine!"
"Really?" She asked doubtfully.
"Yes! Why didn't you tell me that you could sew?"
She shrugged. "It never really came up in conversation."
"Did you make their outfits, too?" I asked, nodding in the direction of Stella and Luna.
Hermione nodded.
"Those are equally brilliant!" I complimented as she blushed.
"You really should quit this job and sell things full-time." I said.
"I love my job." She announced, sort of in a defensive manner. "I wouldn't want any other one."
"And we wouldn't want any other nanny." Stella said brightly. I hadn't even noticed her come over to where we were sitting.
Hermione smiled the first smile I saw from her that day. Stella reached over to give her a hug. Luna walked over and sat next to Hermione. "Hey, that's my seat, Luna!" Stella scolded.
"I want to sit next to Hermione." Luna said stubbornly.
"Well, so do I." Stella declared.
"I'll move." I volunteered. "I'll sit behind you, 'Moine."
"Are you sure?" She asked politely. I nodded.
"Thanks, Harry!" Stella said, taking my seat. It was so weird to meet a kind Malfoy.
I walked around to the next row of chairs. Speaking of Malfoys, the seat behind Hermione was next to the one occupied by Narcissa Malfoy. Wonderful.
"Harry!" Narcissa said warmly. I didn't know what to say. I always thought of her as a complete bitch. I thought she hated me.
"Uh, hi, Mrs. Malfoy." I stuttered.
"Oh, please, call me Narcissa!" She said bubbly.
"Alright, then, Narcissa." I said awkwardly.
"How have you been?" She asked brightly. I was sure she would hate me! I mean… I was despised by her husband. I knew she wasn't anything like Lucius, but still.
"Alright." I said slowly. "And you?"
"Well, I've been better." She laughed. "I can't believe Draco is marrying that bitch."
I was taken aback. "Oh…?"
"Elizabeth Tanner. She's a bitch! I saw her steal a piece of jewelry from the living room." Narcissa raved.
"Why don't you… I mean, did you tell your son?" I asked.
She shook her head and chuckled. "He wouldn't believe me, anyway. She'll get hers, though." More laughter. "She'll get what she deserves in the end. Draco isn't dumb… he'll catch on to her." Narcissa looked in the direction of Malfoy, who was just coming over to greet someone. He disappeared quickly.
Then the music started. It was organ music; which I didn't care for all that much, but it's sort of traditional at weddings. Then the adorable Malfoy girls walked up the aisle, tossing petals into the air. It was really cute. I still couldn't get over how well-mannered and adorable they were.
They walked around and sat next to Hermione. Then Elizabeth walked down the aisle. Her dress was white and lacy… it was really very nice. I wondered how much it cost her. She got to the altar and stood across from Malfoy, smiling seductively at him. He looked into her eyes with a blank expression. He seemed so cold… even more so than usual. Then the priest spoke up. "We gather here today to bare witness to the joining of Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Miss Elizabeth Gretel Tanner." People around me clapped lightly, so I joined in. "These two beautiful people are going to leave this church as one, devoted, happily-married couple. I'm sure I don't need to even ask this, but since it is tradition; does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be wed? Speak now or forever hold your peace."
Seconds passed quickly as no one spoke. I didn't expect anyone to, really. But suddenly, someone in front of me stood up and said, "I object."
Petal Girl
Stella Malfoy
Hermione got us dressed, made us eat breakfast, and escorted us to the chapel. The morning was a blur. I was too focused on my mission to object at the wedding. I knew what I was going to say. I was going to tell them about her kidnapping plot and how she wanted to steal all my dad's money. I had it practically written in my mind and I said it over and over again until the wedding.
I object. When I was asked why, I'd go on to say, Elizabeth is only in this for the money. I could hear her conversations with her friend Ginny from the bathroom vent. She's the one who plotted and carried out the kidnapping of Luna and me. The ransom money wasn't enough, though, so she plans to marry my dad and then raid the bank account. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I don't know if anyone will believe me, but it happened and this wedding is a mistake.
That's what I'd say. Just like that… plain and simple. Did it happen that way? Oh, no.
After we got to the chapel, I prepared to throw the flowers. It wasn't a hard task, but I practiced with Luna, who didn't grasp the concept until after I'd picked the flowers up and put them back into her basket the sixth time.
Then Daddy wanted to talk to us alone in the back room. So we put down our baskets and went. I decided to hold my information inside me until the objection point. I'd let my dad think he was getting married today.
"Stella, Luna." He acknowledged. "You girls know I love you two more than anything."
"More than anything?" Luna asked shyly. "That's big, Daddy."
"Yes, Luna, more than anything." He smiled. "My point is that this marriage won't change that. Elizabeth is going to be your step mom, but no one is forcing you to call her that. Nothing can change how much I love you two." He hugged us both and told us the wedding was going to start in about twenty minutes.
We went to sit by Hermione and Harry for a little while, but the nice wedding coordinator called us over after a few minutes. "Stand back here, girls." She told us with a smile. "When the organ starts to play, I want you two to walk slowly down the aisle, smiling. Then lightly toss your petals up and let them float down. Once you reach the altar, go sit with your nanny."
We both nodded at her easy instructions. Anyone could do that! So, when the organ started to play, we did exactly what she told us to. Everyone thought we were "charming" and "cute" except Elizabeth, probably.
We sat next to Hermione and then Elizabeth came down the aisle. She looked nice, I had to admit, but I secretly thought Hermione was prettier than her. She beat Elizabeth out in talent and kindness for sure.
"We gather here today to bare witness to the joining of Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Miss Elizabeth Gretel Tanner." Everyone around me clapped. Except, well, Hermione and Grand-ma-ma and me. Even Luna started to clap, but I gently nudged her hands down. "These two beautiful people are going to leave this church as one, devoted, happily-married couple. I'm sure I don't need to even ask this, but since it is tradition; does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be wed? Speak now or forever hold your peace."
This is it! I thought. Here goes nothing.
"I object."Someone beat me to it! I looked to see who it was and I smiled. Things were going to get interesting.
Head or Heart
Hermione Granger
The wedding day was like a long, drawn-out, well-planned torture device. It took my heart and chopped it in a billion pieces and didn't neglect to spit on the shattered shards. For the most part, I busied myself by helping Stella and Luna get ready. I also dressed myself in my white dress.
My dress was the most beautiful thing I ever made. It was ironic that I was going to be wearing it on one of the worst days of my life. It was white, sheer, and layered… and it resembled modern, less-traditional wedding gowns. It was a party dress, but that day was no party.
By the time I got to the chapel, I was heartbroken and upset. I didn't let it show, though. I talked with Harry, but I hardly remember what we talked about. The whole time all I thought about was how much I was going to cry when I got home. I thought that one final kiss from Malfoy would be enough to make me move on… but it wasn't. He was like a drug… you couldn't take one last dose and never take any more again. I needed more.
Some point after Harry went to sit behind me, Stella and Luna went to go be flower girls. Harry was talking to Narcissa, so I didn't have anyone to talk to. I didn't care, though… I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, really.
When the organ began to play, I watched as Stella and Luna walked down the aisle in perfect harmony. They tossed their petals, making the crowd smiled and look delighted. I managed a smile for them. They walked off to the side and took the seats next to me. Then the music halted for a moment, but started up again. Elizabeth came down the aisle. I had to admit; she looked stunning. She was much prettier than I could ever hope to be.
"We gather here today to bare witness to the joining of Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Miss Elizabeth Gretel Tanner." Many people clapped, but I couldn't bring myself to. "These two beautiful people are going to leave this church as one, devoted, happily-married couple. I'm sure I don't need to even ask this, but since it is tradition; does anyone here have any reason why these two should not be wed? Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
Suddenly, before I knew what was happening, I was standing and I said, "I object." It happened entirely out of compulsiveness; I didn't intend on doing that. I just assumed I'd be miserable for a while after the wedding. I certainly didn't plan on causing a scene. But looking around, I did just that. There was a collective gasp and everyone… everyone was looking at me. Stella looked surprised. Harry looked sympathetic. Luna looked confused. Narcissa looked thrilled. Ron looked interested. Elizabeth looked outraged. Malfoy looked relieved.
"What is your reason that these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?" The priest asked. I didn't respond right away. If my head answered his question, I would probably mention how horrible Elizabeth treats Stella and Luna. If my heart answered, though, I would say what I thought about Draco.
Head or heart… 'Moine, pick one. Head, heart, head, heart, head, heart"Because I… because I love you, Draco. I love you." The crowd gave another gasp and I remembered how many people were at this wedding. There were teachers from Hogwarts, classmates from school, people I never met, and people who I was close with.
No one said anything for a moment. Many people seemed really surprised. I wanted someone to save me from this embarrassment I was about to die from. "I object, too." Stella stood on her chair so she was almost as tall as me.
"And me!" Luna imitated her sister with enthusiasm.
"So do I." Narcissa Malfoy stood behind me.
"What the hell." I heard Harry mutter from behind me. "Me too." He said, standing.
The priest looked shocked. "Well!" He began. "Never in all my 50 years of performing weddings has anyone objected. I certainly never had five objections all at once! You," he said, pointing at Stella, "who are you? And why did you object?
Stella stayed standing on her chair as she said, "I'm Stella Malfoy. I'm the groom's daughter. A few months ago, I was in the bathroom when I realized I could hear Elizabeth talking from her room. The vents are connected, see, and if you stand on the counter the right way, you can hear every word." I was surprised she did this! Elizabeth lost her cool for a moment… she turned pale and looked uncomfortable. Draco raised his eyebrows at his daughter. "Anyway, I heard her say that she was going to steal all my Dad's money. She had a whole plot going with her friend Ginny.
"The second time I listened in on her conversation, I heard something I wish I didn't. She said she was going to kidnap my sister and me and demand a high ransom for us. Well, she did carry out her plan, as some of you might remember. But she erased our memories, right? Yeah, she did… but it wore off and I remembered everything." I was shocked. She knew she was going to get kidnapped but she didn't tell. Wait. I had a horrible thought. She did tell! That nightmare thing… it wasn't really a nightmare.
"That's so untrue!" Elizabeth proclaimed. "The little brat's just sore because her Dad will be married to someone else!"
"No." I said, shaking me head. "She's telling the truth. The night before the kidnapping, she was hysterical crying. I asked her what was wrong and she told me she had a nightmare. In her bad dream, she and Luna were kidnapped by Elizabeth. Stella told me what was going to happen before it did. There was no nightmare."
Draco looked interested now. His daughter had some pretty interesting information, after all.
"She's lying, too!" Elizabeth whined. "She's only jealous because she loves my fiancé and knows she has no chance with him!" The words stung. Was that true? No. I thought firmly. Stella isn't lying.
"Believe what you want, but…" Narcissa spoke up this time. "I believe my granddaughter completely."
"Who are you?" The priest asked, looking quite overwhelmed.
"I'm Narcissa Malfoy, the groom's mother." She smiled. "Last night I left a necklace out on the table in the living room. I turned off the lights and was about to leave the room when I heard Elizabeth coming into the room. I didn't want to scare her by coming out of the dark, so I just hung back and stayed in the shadows. Well, I saw Miss Tanner pick up my necklace, pocket it, and leave the room without a second thought."
"She's a crazy old woman! Don't listen to her!" Elizabeth moaned.
"Why do you object?" The priest interrupted, looking at Luna.
"I'm Luna and I wanted to say that Elizabeth is mean! She tried to send us away from the house!"
Elizabeth had no comeback for that comment.
"And finally, you, Harry Potter, why do you object to this?" The priest asked.
"I've known Hermione for a long time. Ever since she took this job she's been different. She seems much happier… more free. I've never seen her so happy when she's around Malfoy. Anyone can see how much she loves him and how much this wedding is breaking her heart."
I looked at the ground. I realized how great a friend Harry was to me. I mean—he objected to a wedding between two people he hardly knew and didn't really like.
"Mr. Malfoy," The priest said to Draco. "What would you like to say about all of this?"
Draco didn't say anything. He got off the altar and came over to where all of the "objectees" were sitting. He reached forward, grabbed my hands, and pulled me close to him. Then he enveloped me with his arms and kissed me. Everyone gasped but neither of us cared.
I never wanted that moment to end. But Elizabeth interrupted it when she stood behind me and cleared her throat loudly. "What," she hissed dangerously, "do you think you're doing?"
"Obviously nothing that involves you." Stella said sharply. "So why don't you leave?"
"How dare you!" Elizabeth yelled. "How dare you tell me to leave my own wedding!"
"If I may, miss," Elizabeth's servant Lysa spoke. "There doesn't appear to be a wedding today."
That made Elizabeth completely lose it. She went over to Lysa and slapped her across the face. "And you!" She screamed. "This is not your place! This isn't anyone's business! Draco!" She turned to him. "Tell these people that they're mistaken… we're getting married!"
He shook his head. "No we're not."
"But… but…" She whimpered. "Draco, I love you!"
"You never loved me." He said simply. "You are only in this for the money."
"You believe them?" She asked, outraged. "You believe them over me?"
"The 'them' you are referring to happens to be my mother and my daughter." He said defensively. "I don't think they would lie to me."
"But you don't know that for sure!" She insisted.
"That doesn't matter, anyway." Draco said, putting his arm around me. "That's not why I'm calling off the wedding."
"Why, then?" Elizabeth cried. "Why are you running my wedding?"
"Because I realized this is a mistake." He stated simply. "I shouldn't marry you! I should marry Hermione."
Elizabeth looked like she was going to wring my neck. The crowd gasped yet again. My stomach no longer felt sick. I was happy. I smiled a genuine smile for the first time in days.
Draco gently pulled me up to the altar. "There's a misprint in your wedding programs." He said. "Where it says that the bride is 'Miss Elizabeth Gretel Tanner' it should really say 'Miss Hermione Jane Granger.'"
"Unless, of course," he whispered to me, "you don't want it to."
I shook my head. "No, I do."
Elizabeth began to cry loudly before she ran from the room. Her family and friends followed her. The remaining crowd stayed seated and watched the priest pronounce us husband and wife.
As we went together, hand in hand, to the reception party, I knew my life had changed forever. But it was a good change… a positive one. I had my happy ending that I was so sure I wouldn't get. I had a dream that this would happen… I dreamt that Draco would stop the wedding and I would marry him instead. But it was a dream, I told myself that morning. It wouldn't happen.
But it did.
Author's Note: I'm so sad to see it end! I really loved writing this… and I loved the ending! I hope it was better than you expected. There will be ONE MORE CHAPTER! It's an epilogue that takes place months after the wedding. You'll get that one in a little while. But first: my thoughts on this story…
It was certainly a journey. Even though it took place over the course of a few months, I managed to stretch it to 74 pages in MS Word. That's not counting the epilogue (which I didn't write yet).
I can't believe how many reviews I got. Each and every one of them was important to me. They often gave me ideas, inspiration, or compliments. I rarely got anything bad (except one out of character and one long, weird flame).
For the finale, I wanted everyone to think Stella was the one who objected. With the "small voice" and "someone in front of me" descriptions, I thought they would make it seem like Stella. Did anyone think it was Hermione when they read this?
I think that's it.
I have one last request for you all! I want to quote from a reader to go in my profile! If you could say something in your review about what made this a good story for you that would be much appreciated. For example, this would be in my profile: "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace was (something good here followed by why).—Member's Name Here, A Story They Wrote. Of course, you would make it sound good and everything, and not follow my really bad example. But you get free advertising from it! If you wrote a story, that is. Thanks in advance!
Oh, and on the matter of a sequel: I don't know. I don't have a plot in mind. I'll say this, though: not any time soon. But it's not completely ruled out.
On the matter of other stories in the works: Yes! I've written a good chunk of my new, action-packed, angst-filled story! It's centered around Draco and Hermione as 7th-years, but other characters are really important. As I think I said last author's note, there's a few lines from it posted on my profile.
And of course: THANK YOU! Thanks to EVERYONE who read and reviewed!