Wedding Date

Part two

"Where's the bride to be?" Hermione's mother asked her.

"I don't know."

"Well could you go find her?"

Hermione got off her stool. "Fine." She walked outside and over to where all the guys were. If she is going anywhere it will be with the men. She opened the door to find Kimberlee talking to Malfoy.

"Kimberlee, mom needs you."

Kimberlee wiped her tears. "Okay." She put one hand on Malfoy's shoulder before leaving. Draco looked at Hermione with a sad look on his face.

"What's the matter?"

He shook his head and continued walking.

Ron smiled at her.

"What do you want Ron."

"To talk to you. I miss just talking to you."

"You do now. Well, I am not really fit for talking to you right now."

"Why?"

"Because you left me with a lot of unanswered questions Ronald."

"Like what?"

"Like why did you break off the engagement?"

"Things just weren't working out for us."

"Well that was still really sudden."

"What else do you want from me?"

"Why did you break up with me?"

Ron looked at his feet. "You want the truth, here it is. Your 19th birthday party, do you remember it? We all came to your house. The one you shared with my sister. Well you invited your sister. This was the first time I had talked to an actual muggle and she was bloody beautiful, just like you. We got to talking and became friends. Well, that summer when we were out on the lake for Harry's birthday we became closer." He paused. "I slept with her." Hermione gasped. "Then I began falling for her. We would sleep together all the time. So I tried making it with you but I couldn't stop thinking about her. I knew being with her was wrong but I couldn't hide my feelings for her. So I dumped you and tried going out with her but she had been dating Neville then. So I lost both of you."

Hermione slapped him and ran away. Ron didn't follow but watched her. Harry did chase after her though.

Draco stood outside. Hermione ran to him. "You were wrong. He doesn't love me…he loves her!" She pointed to her sister that realized Hermione knew the truth.

"Kimberlee."

"I know, she told me."

"You mean you knew?"

"For like 5 minutes."

"So why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to be the one to break the news. You need to hear it from him." She began to cry. "You need to forget about him Hermione. There are better people out there for you." Malfoy watched Harry running toward them. "Let me take you home."

- - -

Hermione and Draco drove together to the chapel the next morning. Hermione folded her arms and stared out the window.

"I'm surprised you are actually going to this."

Hermione shrugged. "I will pretend to be happy for them but tomorrow I never want to see them again."

Malfoy stopped and looked both ways before turning the corner. "So you want to cut off all ties with your sister?"

"Yeah, because she might steal my next boyfriend."

"But she is getting married today."

"Being in a relationship never stopped her before."

Malfoy pulled up to the chapel. He turned off the car and looked over at her. "May I say, you look really pretty today."

Hermione blushed. "Thank you."

Malfoy got out and helped Hermione out. "What am I going to do Draco?"

"I think you should do what you said a few minutes ago."

"But do you think that's best?"

"Do you?"

Hermione sat in one of the pews and Draco sat down next to her. She smoothed out her maid of honor dress and gave a heavy sigh.

Draco hung his head and folded his hands in thought.

"Remember when you told me there were better people out there for me."

"Mmmhmm." He didn't look at her.

"Well were you talking about a significant person?" She looked at him and smiled.

"Well no, but I do believe there is someone who likes you here."

"Are you as sure as you were about Ron still having feelings about me?"

"I told you I was sorry. But I believe it is true, more then I thought about the whole Ron thing." He watched the decorators set out the flowers on the altar.

Hermione turned his head and kissed him. Malfoy pushed her off. "It's not me you fool."

Hermione looked at the ground.

Draco wiped his mouth and changed the subject. "Why don't you talk things out with your sister?"

Kimberlee stood in the back with tears flooding down her cheeks as she tried to adjust a bouquet of flowers but was getting frustrated.

Hermione got up and walked over to her. "Kimberlee, I need to talk to you!"

"I am really sorry Hermione. I am really really sorry. I never meant for it to blow up like the way up did." She tried to cover up the real problem as she backed up to the wall.

"I really don't care whether or not you're sorry. It just hurts too much to think about it."

Kimberlee wiped her tears off her cheeks.

"I know how badly you want the perfect wedding so I will let you have it. I will say all the right things and pretend to be happy. But tomorrow, tomorrow I will go back to being the bitter bitch."

Kimberless wiped her nose. "Will we ever be able to be friends again?"

"Hopefully not."

Kimberlee looked at the ground, defeated.

Hermione folded her arms and tapped her foot. "Does Neville know?"

"No."

"Don't you think he should?"

"I was just waiting for the right time."

"The right time!" Hermione turned to the altar. "Wouldn't this be the right time? I think he should know what he is marrying into."

Hermione walked away leaving Kimberlee to her thoughts.

- - -

Kimberlee pulled Neville into her dressing room.

He covered his eyes. "Kimmy, what are you doing? We are not supposed to talk to each other before the wedding."

Kimberlee pulled his hands away from his eyes.

He saw her tears and became worried. "Kimberlee…what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"There is something I have been hiding from you that you need to know before you marry me."

Kimberlee sat him down.

Neville looked confused, as always.

"It is killing me to say this but 5 years ago I had a fling with Ron that lasted almost 2 years."

"That's when we were dating."

"I know. We…were very close."

"Define close."

Kimberlee looked away.

"Kimberlee…what's going on?"

"We were sexual partners!" She quickly yelled back at him.

"Oh bloody hell Kimberlee!"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't know what makes me angrier the fact you cheated on me, or the fact you helped Ron cheat on Hermione."

"When I realized it was wrong and the guilt was too much, I broke it off with him."

Neville got out of his seat and left the room.

"Neville wait!"

Neville saw Ron talking to Harry but when Ron saw him coming he took off. Neville ran after him. Harry realized what was going on and ran after them.

Hermione and Draco continued their conversation.

"So who do you think likes me?"

"I am not going to tell you Granger."

Hermione playfully hit him. "Tell me."

"No."

Hermione laughed. "Come on."

Draco smiled. "I told you…no."

Hermione smiled back.

"Wow…"

"Wow what?"

"I think that is the first time you truly smiled this whole trip."

"No it hasn't. I have smiled loads of times before this."

"But not like this, your eyes sparkled. You look amazing when you smile."

Hermione couldn't stop smiling. "Aww, you're so sweet."

"You should smile more often."

Hermione kissed his cheek. "Thank you Draco."

"So you think you want to know who likes you."

"Yes."

"Who is the first person who really welcomed you when you got here? Who is still your friend through the whole Ron thing? Who is very protective of you? Who can't keep his eyes off you?"

Hermione put two hands over her mouth. "Oh my…I d-don't know what to say. I had a crush on him. A major crush on him. But he was so wrapped up with Cho that I thought he would never like me. I only started acting the way I did towards Ron was because I knew I couldn't have Harry."

Draco smirked. "Do you still have feelings for him?"

"Of course…but he is my best friend."

"Go to him Hermione."

She got up.

I love playing match maker. She can finally be happy and get over the pain of Ron. I think I have settled all my unfinished business.

"Promise me you will be here when I get back. I liked having you around. How can I ever repay you?"

"You don't. This is something that has needed to be done for a long time now."

Hermione gave him a hug before leaving.

I didn't change your life, you changed mine.

- - -

Harry and Neville sat in a car together.

"Ron's probably half way to France now." Neville laughed.

"Are you ready to go back?"

"I don't know if I want to be married now."

"You still lover her right?"

"Of course I do. That's why I am marrying her."

"Then go marry her and give her a chance to make up for it."

"You're right." Neville looked out at the countryside. "But I don't have a best man."

"Can't you get someone else?"

"Will you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, will you be my best man?"

"I-I'd be honored to."

"You get to walk with Hermione and I know how much you wan to do that."

"Hermione doesn't like me and that's that."

"I wouldn't say that. You never know."

Harry started the car.

- - -

Hermione searched for a ride but couldn't find one.

Harry…it was Harry the whole time. I can't believe it.

Hermione sat down on a bench. "Now what am I going to do? Harry is my best friend. Am I ready to start a relationship with him?"

Harry and Neville drove up to her. Hermione stood up. She looked straight into Harry's eyes.

"What's going on inside?" Neville asked.

"Nothing much but you should run along Neville."

"Right." Neville took off inside.

Harry and Hermione were left still staring at each other.

Hermione hugged him. "Thank you for always being there."

"Your welcome." Was his only response.

Hermione kissed him on the cheek. "I know that you like me. And, I want to try to let it work."

Harry's eyes sparkled more than they ever had. "You do?"

She nodded.

Harry looked at his watch. "We better get inside."

"Do we have to go to the wedding?"

"Yes, you are the maid of honor…and I am the best man."

"You are?"

He smiled.

"Then we better go."

Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him into the church. Harry couldn't wipe the smile off his face all night.

- - -

After the wedding Harry and Hermione went on their first date.

Draco turned down the payment from Hermione. He did it partly to see her again but he wanted to make things right with all the people he bullied at Hogwarts. Hermione and Draco continued being friends.

Ron eventually got sick of running and came to beg for forgiveness.

Neville learned how great making up can be. Kimberlee never got back with Ron. A year and a half later they all gathered together again for Harry and Hermione's wedding and this time, Draco was the best man. He was introduced again to Ginny Weasley by Hermione.

He still owes Hermione for that.

In the end love conquered all and Hermione learned that you can find friends in the most peculiar places.

The End