A/N: I'd like to apologize my British readers. I am very American, but I try to use British spellings and such. Sometimes it gets atrocious. I got a lot of different reactions to the last chapter, but I like seeing all the different opinions! This is a relaxed chapter, but it's setting you up for lots of action! You're all so wonderful. Thanks for reading!
Trixie7- I think it's hard from Hermione to come to terms with the idea of Ron being in love with her. She's very practical and falling in love so quickly is not a very practical idea. It scares her. You'll see how it all turns out soon!
Coolgirlc- Did I not answer your review last time? I'm so sorry! I generally just go through my emails and I must have skipped one! The last time we saw Tonks she was very pregnant, so she hadn't had the baby yet. Now she has and the story continues!
Zarroc- Some people think she should say yes, others don't. Will have to see, now won't we? I hope you enjoy reading this!
Keen13- Thanks! Sometimes I feel like they're out of character, but I really try to keep them faithful to the books. There will be lots of mystery to unravel before the story ends, so keep reading!
Quidditch7- Scatter brain reviews are great! They make me smile! It was hard to decide what Hermione would do, so I put myself in the situation and chose from there. Hopefully it's to everyone's liking. This chapter will keep you relaxed, but be prepared to really dive into the next chapter!
Abercrombie 18- I don't know. Would you run away from everyone you know and love, especially when you've already convinced another friend not to run away from it? Hermione has some really tough choices to make (and they were really tough for me to write!) You'll see how it all plays out. Not everything is as it seems!
Gag Hafrunt- I completely agree with you, the idea is ludricious, but I'm writing this for an upcoming marriage law challenge. There will be twists at the end about the laws and the people involved. To me, the story is not as much about the law as it is the adventure. I have two older stories that don't involve the marriage law, but the grammar isn't great. If you want to try one of those, I'd suggest "Cursed Wedlock."
Cappygal116- All chapters must come to an end! I know it was a cliffy. Honestly, this chapter has one too. I've become very fond of them, I guess! I'm glad the baby's name didn't appall you. I hope you like the chapter!
Since her confrontation with Ron, Hermione had been having the busiest week of her life.
As much as she tried to concentrate, she just couldn't manage to get her work done for the appeal. Every time she sat down with a book full of government policy and began to skim through the papers, her mind floated off into another world which encompassed her personal life.
Not to mention that she was interrupted by frequent visits from friends and family. Just that day, Mrs. Weasley had stopped by to have a chat and see whether or not Hermione was feeling well. Just after Mrs. Weasley had left, Ginny came over with an offering of mint tea that Hermione could not pass up. After all, tea was an excellent soothing device.
Yesterday, she'd had her parents come to her flat for dinner. It was the most awkward experience Hermione had had with her own flesh and blood. She visited her parents' home quiet often and found it easy not to use magic, but in her own flat magic seemed natural.
The few times she did use magic, her parents gawked at her with a combination of amazement and fright. Hermione knew they could never get used to it all.
Things got even worse when she tried to explain what had been happening to her over the last few months. Her parents had a very hard time grasping the ways in which the Ministry of Magic functioned. Once they had a minimal understanding, Hermione tried to explain the law, which her parents understood very quickly. Needless to say, she had to listen to a new bout of outrages from the pair.
It only got harder when they were done, because Hermione then had to explain what she planned to do and her prior motivations for doing it. She had to explain h her life would be very, very different from then on.
Just to make it worse, as she finished, Lavender Brown apparated into the room looking as if she were about to burst. This suddenly appearance elicited a shrill scream from Hermione's mother.
This had to be the longest week of her life. Getting married was not an easy task, especially not when accompanied by Ron Weasley.
Much to Ron's disliking, they had already written a list of possible members of the wedding party, selected the best candidates, and held a meeting with these people to discuss the dates, outfits, and other miscellaneous arrangements.
After everyone had gone, they compiled an entire list of who would be invited to the wedding. Hermione was shocked to find out that Ron had such a large extended family, most of whom she had never met.
The next few days of the week would be the worst of all.
That day was a day Hermione had officially nicknamed "D-Day," and the next day was Dean and Parvati's wedding.
As it was officially D-Day, Ron would be moving into Hermione's flat.
Ron had been afraid at first that Harry would be slightly wounded by this tactic, but the red-haired man shouldn't have been so smug.
Hermione heard a familiar popping noise from behind her. Before she could even register that someone had apparated into her house, that someone was making their presence very well known.
"GINNY!" A rough male voice exclaimed. Hermione smirked devilishly and turned around to face a livid Ron.
"Harry's new roommate is Ginny!" He exclaimed more clearly. He began pacing back and forth frantically. Without missing a beat, he continued. "How could they plan this out behind my backs? They're my best mate and my little sister!"
"Which is exactly way they did plan it out behind your back." Hermione noted. "Why do you care so much? You didn't seem to mind in sixth year."
"In sixth year, they weren't sleeping with each other!"
"Says who?"
Ron stopped pacing and looked Hermione dead in the eye. He seemed to be in the deepest of shock. "I really, really do hate you sometimes."
Hermione shrugged. "I try."
Ron ruffled his hair and paced for another few minutes while Hermione continued to clean and organize her kitchen.
"When do you think I should start moving my things in?" Ron asked once he had managed to calm down.
Hermione let out a deep sigh. "Now, I guess." Reluctantly, she pointed her wand and prepared to apparate to Ron's flat.
"Rubbish!" Ron said to stop her. "I'm not going to make you do all the work. I'm making Harry help me instead! I think he owes me that much right now."
"Does Harry know that he'll be responsible for helping you move some of your most valued possessions?"
"Oh, he will."
Hermione let out a little laugh. "What am I supposed to do then?"
"Uhh.." Ron's eyes swiveled around the room. "Ginny wanted to see you. I think she has some ideas for you."
"Well," Hermione sighed. "Has she become my personal distraction squad now?"
Ron didn't avoid the question at all.
"Yes. Yes, she is."
As if having been summoned to the flat, Ginny Weasley apparated into the kitchen at that moment. She looked around the room hastily until her eyes locked on Hermione.
"There you are!" Hermione wanted to shake her head, but she refrained. Ginny acted as if she did not expect to find Hermione in her own flat.
Ron obviously saw this as his exit sign, because right after Ginny spoke, he said "I think I'll catch up with Harry now" and apparated away.
Ginny stared at the area where her brother had just been standing, shook her head wearily and mumbled "Men!"
"I hear you're moving in with Harry?" Hermione decided to make conversation before Ginny had the chance. Everyone seemed to want to talk about the plans she was making for the wedding, and Hermione couldn't stand to talk about herself any longer.
A pink blush rose up in Ginny's cheeks. "We're going to wait about a week before we move my belongings in. You know, just to make sure that all of Ron's things and gone. I don't want him to come back and be angry that something of his was moved or misplaced."
"He'll be fine once he gets his panties out of a twist." Hermione assured Ginny. "I think it's great that you'll be living with Harry now. Congratulations!"
Ginny tried to hide her blush and her smiles as she simply shrugged, but her true happiness betrayed her. Hermione could tell Ginny was enthralled.
"How have you been?" Ginny asked. Hermione was unhappy that the subject had been changed back to her, but she tried to look content. "Have you been feeling well?"
"Just fine, thank you." Hermione replied curtly.
"Good!" Ginny shouted out. "Because today we're pulling out all the stops!"
Hermione's heart leapt. She was in complete fear as to what Ginny meant by that statement. What exactly would they be pulling the stops out on?
"How so?"
"We're going to find you the most fabulous dress robes in Britain!" Ginny laughed. "I won't settle for you looking like anything less than royalty!"
It was true that Hermione was sick of planning, but she couldn't help but feel a bit enthusiastic when a kindred spirit such as Ginny was there to support her. No wonder she had chosen Ginny as her maid of honour.
Still, a few things stood in her way. Most girls had spent their entire lives dreaming of their wedding day. Hermione had thought about it, of course, but she had never narrowed it all down to one specific image.
She had no other choice than to shrug her shoulders and pretend to have no interest. "I haven't really put any thought into the small details like that, Ginny."
"Small details?" Ginny gasped out in sheer horror. "Hermione, the flower arrangements are a small detail. The colour of the bonding pillows is a small detail. Your wedding dress robes are the only detail!"
"What's a bonding pillow?" Hermione inquired, even though she knew very well that bonding pillows were the cushions then bride and groom knelt down on throughout a traditional wizard wedding. She had seen it once before, but she still hoped to throw Ginny off topic.
Ginny didn't miss a beat. "Don't give me that! You know exactly what a bonding pillow is!" Hermione internally chided herself for not coming up with a cleverer question. Now Ginny was right back where she left off. "You don't have any idea what you want to wear during your wedding?"
"No," Hermione came up with another clever attempt, "but I've decided on the colour of our dress robes."
"I'll have to be fitted for it while we're in Hogsmeade shopping for your dress robes."
Damn it all, Hermione thought. It was so much simpler to lead Harry and Ron off topic. Ginny was persistent. She had no choice.
"When should we leave?" Hermione sighed, signaling to Ginny that she had given up her struggle.
Ginny did a small hop. "Now sounds about right!"
Rolling her eyes at Ginny's excitement and thus attempting to hide her own, Hermione made another exasperated noise. "I'll meet you outside of the twins' shop."
Hermione didn't wait for Ginny's approval. Meeting outside of Fred and George's shop was a given. The Weasleys and close family friends met there whenever they ventured into Hogsmeade.
The air was cool in Hogsmeade and the sudden temperature change sent a chill down her spine. People were walking to and fro, paying no mind to the fact that Hermione and Ginny had just appeared out of thin air.
A bell above their heads tinkled as a large red head of hair peeked out through the doorway.
"Well if it isn't my favorite sister!"
"Hello, George!" Ginny replied in a cheery voice.
Thank goodness Ginny had named the twin who stood in front of them. Hermione still had trouble telling them apart. She avoided identifying either of them by name until after someone else had already clarified it for her.
"I was talking about Hermione, actually." George replied smugly. Hermione couldn't help but let out a giggle, even as Ginny scoffed.
"I'm not your sister yet." Hermione reminded him. "Even after I marry Ron, I'll only be your sister-in-law."
Ginny seemed pleased with this answer because she was used to being the little sister. The twins had never thought of Fleur as a sister, as far as Hermione knew.
"Bullocks!" Fred came out of the shop, adding to the conversation. "You're family to us and you know it."
Ginny let out a pouting noise that Hermione gleefully ignored.
"What are you two doing around here anyway?"
"Hermione is getting married in two weeks and she hasn't bought her dress robes yet!" Ginny told the twins as if Hermione were a complete atrocity.
"You're buying them already?" George looked taken back.
"But you've still got two weeks!"
For the second time in a few minutes, Ginny snorted roughly. "Men."
"We better get going now." Hermione suggested as she looked at the aggravation plastered across Ginny's delicate features.
Fred gave her a smug smile. "Be sure to come back later, ladies! We'll share some of our sweets with you!"
"Do you really think we would still fall for that?"
"Why not? Ron does!"
Hermione and Ginny shook off their giggles and began to make their journey through Hogsmeade.
After a while, Hermione began to grow weary. "Where exactly are we going?"
"Don't worry!" Ginny reassured her. Her tone was so positive that it began to make Hermione nervous. "I know just the place!"
They had already moved through the main part of the village, past Madame Puddifoot's and The Hogshead. They were following a long path between trees, but in the distance Hermione could see a few very small buildings.
As the buildings edged closer, Hermione concluded that they were cabins. Even though they looked like private residences, Ginny walked right up to a cabin on the right side of the street and yanked the door open, ushering Hermione in.
Inside was the largest amount of dress robes she had ever seen in any shape or size. They ranged in length, design and color. It was a sight that she had never seen before and the secret part of her that enjoyed shopping leapt up in joy.
A stout woman of about fifty-years-old with sequined robes and bug eyes stood behind the counter sewing. At the sight of Hermione and Ginny, she leapt up from the chair and waddled over to them.
"You need help, dear?" She spoke with a broken accent that surrounded Russian to Hermione. However, she was not very good with foreign dialect and assumed that the woman could have been Eastern European.
Ginny spoke up before Hermione could stop staring at the unusual woman before her. "This woman here is looking for dress robes for her wedding." Ginny too, seemed to have a staring problem.
"You come to right place." The woman's voice was deep and jolly. "My robes are all original. I make them myself."
The woman grabbed Hermione by the hand, startling her half to death, and began leading her up a small flight of wooden stairs. Ginny scurried behind them just to keep up.
Hermione hadn't expected there to be more to the shop, but there certainly was more. The entire upstairs region of the shop was filled with bridal dress robes.
"Let me see." The chubby witch began circling around Hermione like a hawk. "Medium height, medium waist, small breasts," Hermione let out an awkward grumble. Were they really that small? "large thighs," Oh, that was even worse! "and average neck."
By this point, Ginny was twirling her hair awkwardly and staring off at an unknown something on the other side of the room.
"You need something long. Something curvy." The owner of the shop seemed to be filling herself up with inspiration. "Something magnificent!"
"Nothing too fancy, please." Hermione added in a sour attempt at modesty.
"I have perfect one!"
"It's amazing, Harry!" Ginny squealed the next day as she sat around the kitchen with her boyfriend and Hermione. "I've never seen Hermione look so lovely!"
Harry didn't seem too interested in the conversation, but he smiled politely and nodded. "I'll see that for myself in a few weeks, I'm sure."
"I wonder what Parvati's dress robes will look like." Ginny pondered, twirling the edge of her robes by her knees in between her fingers.
"We'll find out," Harry began, walking to the bottom of the staircase and calling out "As soon as Ron gets his arse out of the bathroom!"
"Bugger off!" Ron's voice carried into the kitchen from above. "My hair is very delicate right now!"
"Your brain is the only delicate piece of you, mate!"
"In his defense," Hermione giggled, "he's only been in there for five minutes. Ginny and I took up all his time in the bathroom."
"Well, you took up my time, too." Harry reminded Hermione. "Still, I was ready in three minutes!"
Before the conversation could continue, Ron came marching down the stairs.
"Let's go since you're in such a bloody rush." He grumbled.
Ginny lifted here wand and was about it leave when she suddenly stopped and turned to Harry. "Where exactly are we apparating to this time?"
"Regents Park."
Ginny nearly dropped her wand. "Regents Park?" She gasped. "How do they plan to have a magical wedding in that muggle-infested park?"
"The same way we can hold a Quidditch World Cup." Hermione told Ginny as if it were obvious. It was a shock to her that Ginny hadn't realized it herself. "Diversions, of course."
"Plus, there's a rugby festival on the other side of the park, so all the muggles will be there." Harry added with a cocky smirk.
Hermione laughed, but Ron and Ginny looked baffled.
"What on Earth is rugby?"
Harry shook his head rapidly. "It doesn't matter. Let's go."
When Hermione finally landed in Regents Park, she was shocked to find that Dean and Parvati hadn't changed anything in the area at all. The flowers had always been there, and there were no frilly decorations hanging about. All there was were seats, a tiny white isle, and a small white tent to serve as a chapel. Two other white tents stood on the outskirts. Hermione knew that was where Dean and Parvati were waiting.
There weren't many people there. Neither Dean nor Parvati had a very large family. The setting was much more intimate than Hermione had expected, but she loved it dearly.
They had barely being sitting for a minute when Seamus came over to them.
"Lovely day, isn't it?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Should you be getting ready with Dean?"
"I am ready!" Seamus stood straight up and began strutting in his dress robes. Once he had gotten a significant amount of amusement from his audience, he came back over to them. "Plus, the bride and groom get ready on there own. It's tradition."
Hermione gulped. That was one part of tradition of which she was not aware.
Seamus pointed to his right. The group looked to see Lavender fully dressed and chatting with Dean's mother.
"It's our job to greet the guests and tell Dean and Parvati when it's time."
"When is it time?" Ron asked, showing that he was bored already.
Seamus looked down at his pocket watch. "Right about now."
He signaled to Lavender and pointed drastically toward his watch. She seemed to get the point because she nodded gleefully before sprinting off toward the tent on the right.
Seamus can out with Dean in a matter of seconds. They stood nervously at the altar, waiting for Seamus' wife and Dean's bride to march out of the other tent.
The minutes grew longer and longer and a thick silence fell over the crowd.
Finally, somebody came running out of the tent. It wasn't Parvati. It was Lavender. She held something in her hands, but her arms were flailing so quickly that Hermione couldn't make out what it was.
Could Parvati Patil possibly have walked out on Dean and left nothing but a note?
Lavender reached Dean in a huff. "I looked all over, Dean! I can't find her anywhere!"
Dean's eyes were looking down at his feet. Hermione could just barely see a single tear roll down his nose and fall to the ground. They all knew what this meant. They were all shocked.
"She didn't leave, Dean!" Lavender tried to convince him. "When I got to her tent, the mirror was smashed into pieces!"
Dean's head shot up. Seamus looked at his wife with the utmost surprise. The entire audience was extremely attentive.
Lavender little out a little sob and held up the object in her hand. It was clear to Hermione that Lavender held a bridal shoe, but something was odd about it.
The front half of the shoe was white, but the back half was black.
"I found this in one of the corners."
The big question is: Do you think that Hermione made the right decision? Is it better to marry someone you love under pressure or is it better to break their heart to buck the system? What do you think?
Next chapter, we kick into action!
What do you think of Parvati's disappearence? Was it planned like Dean's? Did something happen to her?
Give me any feedback you'd like to discuss!
