The Wedding Planner
A Harry Potter Fanfiction Based Off the Movie "The Wedding Planner"
By: Whisper's Song
A/N: Enjoy! Thank you for reading/reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I don't own Harry Potter. All credit goes to J.K Rowling. The original plot idea does come from the movie "The Wedding Planner"
I looked around at my new office, or I should say hotel room, and sighed happily. A new client, a new challenge, I couldn't have been in a better mood. Not to mention there was something about New York City that always energized me despite the awful jet lag from the ride from England. Pouring myself another cup of Mrs. Weasely's personal recipe herbal tea, I reached for the hair clip on my dresser. Relaxation time would happen after I had planned this wedding. I put my hair up and began to set up my command center. Catching a glimspe of the glittering city outside, I realized I had been away too long. While many people think my job as a wedding planner is boring on paper, I've actually seen all seven continents because of my job. I've met more people than I ever could've hoped to because of my job and made contacts that have been invaluable. Not to mention I apparently had tapped into the pulse of an up and coming job field. A wedding planner for the magical community that was also an actual witch wasn't as common as I had assumed. It only made sense to me that a witch would take care of another witch's wedding considering they usually wanted spectacles that physics would never prove possible and the occassional mythical creature that couldn't just be explained away by genetics.
At first Harry, Ron, my teachers, and well, literally everyone couldn't wrap their brains around for why I would, in their words, "settle" for a job as a wedding planner when I could have any job I wanted. They tried for what seemed like ages to convince themselves that this was only a temporary job, but I told them this was the job I wanted. True, I could've gone the scholar route and I think I would've been happy surrounded by books, but eventually I believe things would've gone stale. The research opportunities would've been fantastic and I would've learned countless things, I will give it that. I had actually applied to a research program dealing with potions, but when I shadowed the program I found myself asking if I wanted my life to be just this: research, books, research, and more books with no life and a label of being just the one sided bookworm.
Continuing education in magic was also an option many people assumed I would take but I also shut that option out. I knew that most people didn't have the passion for school that I had and I would most likely end up with students that would only do the bare minimum to pass. Relating to my Hogwarts peers was challenging enough but in an even more advanced setting I knew it would become more difficult. Eventually I came across a muggle childhood friend who was studying in America to become a wedding planner. Even I had chuckled at her career until she explained it all to me. She described a setting where I would learn something new everyday with endless avenues of what was possible because each cilent was different and in turn each event was different. The skills I would learn along with the money I could earn led me to do some homework about the career which eventually I became sold about. I've found the profession to be more rewarding than finding a fossil of a wand, standing next to the exhibit while the press take pictures, and then the discovery being forgotten the next day.
I finished setting out my command center. On the desk provided in my room I had neatly stacked my planning notebook, my notes notebook, a endless magazine that never ran out of pages about any wedding topic, and my address book carefully in the center of the desk. Right beside that I had pens, pencils, highlighters, tape, post-its, and tissues in perfect rows. Satisfied that my command center would be effective enough for now, I peered through the window at Central Park. These clients had really gone out of their way just for my accomendations alone, more so than any other wedding I had done before. It was odd, yes, but I wasn't going to start complaining. I grabbed the couple's profile off my bed, another couple had reccomended them to me apparently. From what was on paper they seemed like the normal clientel I attracted: young and still fresh out of wizarding school. They requested a contract of confidence from the moment I was given the file, that coupled with just a profile outline of only the bare details, I knew I was dealing with a high profile couple. My mind entertained who it could be, going back to all the high profile engagement announcements I scanned daily. I couldn't come up with anyone and figured this must've been a couple who probably hadn't even announced their engagement. This made my heart sink a bit, realizing they must be richer than Merlin himself. Only someone whose wedding would cause a media circus didn't announce their engagement to the press. I had no problem with high profile cilents, in fact they helped me become successful, but they usually ended up being a headache. Not only were they usually airheaded and arrogant, they would call at all hours to discuss details that were already in place. Yet I had to remember this was America, not England. Cilents like this paid my bills in advance and provided a good lifestyle and I needed this clients' commission to pay for a new flat I was eyeing back home. With it I would be closer to Ron, Harry, and not to mention all the vendors I regularly used in England. What usually was a tricky floo trip or a lengthy trip could be only minutes away with this commission! I would have to deal with these people, arrogant or not.
The profile revealed they had selected a church and I was impressed, not to mention relieved. It took a huge load off my shoulders as it was a major checklist item that I could already cross off. This allowed my energy to already be focused on other points of the wedding. The picture provided of the church looked nice and while they could be snobby....at least they had good taste.
Smoothing my skirt for what felt like the millionth time, I looked around I looked around the vast church. Taking note of the amount of pews I started to calculate how many people would most likely come. It was a large church and could easily seat two hundred plus guests so I was planning a big wedding. This wasn't a problem because I had planned wedding of five hundred people before, this was going to be a cakewalk. A church like that was the typical choice of high profile couples because they had to invite everyone not only in the family but all their friends fearing social suicide if they didn't. I was to meet the happy couple here shortly after lunchtime. Checking my watch, I hoped they would show up on time, or was I early? I never could quite tell with people. As I was going through my mental notes I heard a girl's voice exclaim,
"Oh there she is!" My first thought: paydirt. I was used to the reaction of shock and exclaim. It wasn't a secret that the entire wizarding community knew exactly how I looked considering I was part of the golden trio while at Hogwarts. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself. Standing up from my pew, I got my first look at the bride to be. She was definitely American from all appearances, not mention her voice: cute, short, and red haired with a fresh girl next door face that reminded me of Mrs. Weasely. She hurriedly made her way down the aisle to where I was.
"Are you the wedding planner?" she asked, in awe, as if she needed to be assured it was me. After all the press being Harry Potter's friend, I still didn't get why anyone would be in wonder of me. I smiled at her.
"That I am. I'm Hermione Granger." I said, extending my hand for her to shake. The girl smiled back and shook my hand in return.
"Shania Word. Wow..the Hermione Granger..." she said, star-struck, but then attempted to pull herself together. "I'm sorry Ms. Granger-"
"Hermione" I corrected her.
"Hermione, then. I'm sorry I look star struck but over here you're a legend. Top student at Hogwarts, they call you the witch of our age." I blushed a bit. Hogwarts seemed so long ago in the past but it really had only been a couple years. American witches knew that much about me? Who knew? I always felt awkward when talking about myself and my school career. Quickly diverting the conversation back to task at hand, the wedding, I inquired,
"Are you here with your fiance or is it just you?" This was important detail because there were plenty of weddings I had helped plan where the groom had nothing to do with the planning. Usually it became somewhat stressful when the groom realized that his bride had decided on a pink theme which exactly doesn't go along well with the male ego. If he showed up with Shania to the first meeting, most likely I would have his input for all the wedding plans and less stress overall. Shania nodded with a yes.
"Honey!" she called, her eyes shifting around the church, trying to find him. Yet I spotted him before she could. A person would have to be blind to not see his hair. There he was. He was everything I remembered, tall, blonde, but a bit more muscular and still with those blue eyes. My mind was trying to convince me my eyes were playing a trick but I knew who he was. My blood dropped a few degrees and my head had the makings of a headache. The one person I hoped to never see again was standing only a few feet away from me.
Draco Malfoy.
I wanted to run away, fall into a sudden coma, or possibly even be sick. Any ailment to avoid a confrontation with that scum. I should've known he'd be that high profile, he was one of the richest wizards of all time, and with his pureblood background they always married within three years out of Hogwarts. I found myself pinned to the floor as I watched him approach and I tried to paint some kind of smile on my face. They were paying me, I had to be professional. We weren't children anymore and I had to be civil despite wanting to tackle him to the floor and punching him. Once he put my features with a name, I saw his face twist in disgust.
"Granger." he muttered as greeting. His voice could've chilled jello.
"Malfoy." I replied, apparently we were skipping pleasantries and going back to being twelve. The bride to be eye's brightened despite this.
"You know each other?" she exclaimed happily.
"Hardly." he dryly replied.
"We went to school together back in England, Hogwarts. Different houses though, I was in Gryffindor and he was in Slytherin." I added and then under my breath for Malfoy's benefit, "Thank God." Malfoy rose an eyebrow, I plastered a smile on my face. Malfoy put his arm around Shania.
"What is she doing here?" he asked, annoyed and expecting Shania to agree with his judgement.
"She's our wedding planner, you dummy!" she laughed. "You said hire the best and Hermione Granger is the top planner in the world according to the papers." Malfoy gave her a look of complete and total shock. My smile changed from plastered to real this time. During school he had taken pride in the fact he knew everything and constantly threw it in my face despite him constantly being number two in the rankings behind me. At breakfast while at Hogwarts he must've had five different papers delivered to him by owl so he didn't miss any news. I knew for a fact he took a special interest in the business section. Since Hogwarts the papers followed every move of his luxury brand business usually making the front page. Why wouldn't he look at the papers with extra care? So it was surprising he hadn't known about career. He really hadn't read about the business now? The past year alone I had been asked for interviews and covers by the dozen after I had planned "the wedding of century" for the new Minister of Magic. I had garnered the title of the year's "Most Business Savvy Witch" from Witching Weekly and a prime spot on the wizarding world's top 100 witches and wizards. He then proceeded to glared at me and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. The clock was ticking and time was money so I got down to the wedding details.
"Thank you, that's very nice of you to say. Now I've seen you picked out this church as your wedding location, it's a nice choice if I do say so myself." I complimented them honestly, pointing to the rest of the church behind me. "Have you already set up a date with them? Or would you like me to get available times and dates for you to look through?" Shania nodded as Malfoy's eyes were wondering around and not paying attention to the conversation. Surprise, Surprise.
"Yes, I talked to the church and our wedding day will be June 21." Wait. Rewind. Freeze. 15 days? I had 15 days to plan a wedding that would be seen in every wizard publication?
"You want to marry in 15 days?" I asked, hoping I was incorrect, that I had been deaf for a moment and heard wrong. Never had I had so little time to plan a wedding and with the size of the church...I knew it wouldn't be a cakewalk anymore if not near impossible. Malfoy, of course, now came to attention because he noticed my shock and weakness. He smirked and gave me look dripping with the words he wanted to say but couldn't: "Oh, is it too hard to handle, Granger?"
"Yes. I hope that isn't too hard." Shania said sincerely. I once again put on my smile and hoped I looked confident and assured. This face assured many professors that I could handle their workload and still have a decent sleep schedule.
"No, it's completely fine. You two must really be in love." I shrugged as if I wasn't worried when I was stark terrified. Okay, Hermione, calm down. It's nothing, just a little pressure. Remember when you took all those classes third year? You managed fine then and you will now. "We'll just have to stick to a tight schedule. I hope that's alright." I said hopefully.
"Of course! The faster I'm Mrs. Malfoy the better." she said. I smiled. Even if she was marrying the most arrogant, annoying, and selfish man of the century, I still loved to see a bride to be's excitement.
"I'll draw up a schedule tomorrow and drop it off and you two can take a look at it. We will have to get to work right away so there will be some jam packed days." I explained to Shania.
"That sounds great! I completely understand with the short notice there will be several days where everything is back to back. Mr. Muffin over here wanted a whirlwind wedding." I saw him flinch at "Mr. Muffin." I had to control myself from laughing while Malfoy glared at Shania for revealing a personal detail to his enemy. Where on Earth did Mr. Muffin come from to be his nickname?
"Now before we wrap up this meeting I just have a few basic questions so I can get some options for you two to pick from for various topics. Any allergies?"
"I'm allergic to shellfish but that's it." she turned to Malfoy for him to answer. When he realized Shania wasn't going to answer for him, he lazily said,
"I have no allergies." as if I should've already assumed that because he was a Malfoy. Few food restrictions, I noted. Tonight I'd have to contact a few caterers to draw up a taste menu of options. It'd be short notice but it would work out, I hoped.
"Do you plan on having a DJ or a band at the reception?"
"We're open to either option." I made another note to myself to get my music samples in order tonight too.
"What is the budget?"
"There is no budget." Malfoy answered in the same tone as his answer to the allergy question. Okay, maybe I should've known that one, I will admit. No budget certainly made my job easier. The thought of overpricing Malfoy for every detail suddenly made the job somewhat brighter.
"How many guests would you expect to have at the wedding and then how many at the reception?"
"We sent out invitations last month and based on the responses so far probably three hundred at the wedding and then one hundred at the reception." Not bad for a reception.
"Did you have a theme in mind for the wedding?"
"Yes, it's childish but I've always wanted the Cinderella dream wedding." Malfoy rolled his eyes. This puzzled me. How much did he love this girl? I liked the Cinderella theme though, I had a template already set up from the numerous time I've done the theme. I would just adjust it to match Shania's tastes. While the time crunch would be murder, the blue print for the wedding quickly formed in my head.
"Okay, great that's all the questions I have for now." I turned to Draco. "Nice to see you again, Draco." I said, straining my voice, once again trying to be the more mature one in the situation. I couldn't believe I had said Draco, it left me wanting to wash my mouth out. "Nice to meet you Shania. I look forward to planning this wedding with you." I said. As I was leaving I could hear Shania telling Malfoy all about my career. I chuckled and walked out of the church. 15 days and counting...