A/N: Hmmm… My last chapter. I'm sorry this took so long. And being the last chapter, it is so short. Actually, all my chapters are short. Hope you can forgive me. This is how I want to end the story. Please, appreciate it! Thanks for all your reviews! And please read the epilogue. Thanks again!
Chapter 14: I do.
A month had passed in a steady pace and it was time for the wedding. Hermione was happy to see her wedding dress. It fitted her curves (well, her bulging stomach) perfectly. She thanked Narcissa for the dress. Draco offered them the Malfoy chapel for the ceremony. She half-hoped that Draco would stop her from marrying Harry but to her disappointment he offered their personal chapel instead.
She sighed in her room and took a bite off a butter doughnut. She was, at the moment, having a heated argument with herself.
'I never imagined my wedding to be like this. I have a swollen tummy for crying out loud!' She told herself. And true enough she was in her eighth month of pregnancy.
'Why did I agree on a wedding that takes place in a month where my tummy is at its peak?' She asked herself heat rising up to her head.
Calm down. This is for the baby. So when he or she is born there will be a father.
'Always for the baby. What about your happiness?'
I will do anything for the baby. Even if it means that I have to sacrifice my happiness.
Hermione looked down at her tummy. She sounded like an idiot.
She felt tears welling up her eyes.
"I can't do this on my own. I know I can't. Even if I say I can, I know deep down I can't." She was crying now.
'Since when did you think like that? You always look for a way to do it yourself! Now pull yourself together and tell Harry you will not do it.'
"I can't. I will do this." She pulled herself together and wiped away her tears (thank Merlin it was non melting makeup!) and waited for her to be called.
The wedding planner, Shena, peeked inside her room and informed her that the wedding would start in 20 minutes. So I walked to the chapel which was conveniently located at the back of Malfoy Manor.
Shena made Hermione wait outside the chapel as the bridesmaids and everyone else comes in. When the music changed it was her cue to start walking down the aisle. The walk seemed to last an eternity for Hermione. All eyes were on her. At that special moment she wished her parents were alive and well. She pictured her father escorting her to the altar and her mother weeping beside her.
'It's all just a dream now.' She told herself.
Then her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. At the front row, mouth curved in a smile. Wearing a white tuxedo, Italian leather shoes and a white magician-type hat. He was all in white except for his shoes. He looked so ethereal, like an angel had descended from heaven just to witness her wedding. She cried some more. She wasn't marrying Draco, she's here to marry Harry.
She diverted her gaze to Ginny. She couldn't stand seeing him smiling at her like that. Seeing how happy he was on her wedding day. She saw Ginny looking quite nervous and disheveled.
After looking at Ginny she forced herself to look at her groom. Harry was wearing a black tuxedo, his hair still a mess. He was beaming at her. Though he wore glasses, she could see that Harry's emerald eyes were twinkling.
And then she saw Ron. Ron was, somehow, glaring at Harry. She doesn't know why but when Ron gazed at her he smiled very wide. He was wearing a black tuxedo similar to Harry's.
Blaise was at Draco's side wearing a combination of a white tuxedo and black pants and black dragonhide shoes. He was a newly discovered friend to Hermione. He was not as biased as Ron and Harry. And Hermione was grateful for that.
And now came the inevitable. She reached the altar and Harry extended an arm for her to take.
She smiled at him as they made their way up the altar steps before the priest.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two individuals," the priest paused and smiled at everyone.
"I know this isn't necessary but due to tradition, is there anyone here who does not wish for these two beautiful people to be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." The priest looked around not knowing that the two people in front of him wanted to hear the same thing.
The long pause had passed. No one stood up to object.
"Very well," the priest started.
"Do you, Hermione Jane Granger, take Harry James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for rich or poor, till death do you part?" The minister asked, looking at Hermione.
Hermione looked at Harry and their intertwined hands, and then back to his emerald eyes.
As Hermione silently argued in her mind, Draco was holding his green walking stick firmly. His head bowed as if in silent prayer, his eyes were shadowed by his bangs underneath his hat. He was smiling despite the feeling of hurt in the pit of his stomach. And he heard it. The angelic voice of Hermione which said:
"I do."
At that moment he stood up. He knew he was making a scene but didn't care. He walked down the middle of the aisle, where Hermione walked in earlier looking like an angel. He was whistling as he walked, twirling his walking stick.
Hermione was horror struck at his rudeness and a tear escaped her eyes. She brushed it away. The priest proceeded as if nothing happened.
"And do you, Harry James Potter, take Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for rich or poor, till death do you part?"
Now, all eyes were on Harry. He took Hermione's hand in his again and said:
"I…can't." Harry looked at Hermione straight in the eye where he saw a mix of emotions, none of those were hurt.
She was shocked, thankful, and happy.
Harry took both her hands to his lips.
"'Mione, I know you love him. I know you can't live without Malfoy. And I can't live without Ginny. This is all a mistake. I was so intent on helping you, to pay you back for every good thing you did for me. But I almost ended up breaking your heart. Almost stopped you from being with the man you love.
"So please Hermione, as a last favor. Run after Malfoy. You deserve to be happy more than anyone here." Hermione was crying uncontrollably now.
"And, Ginny, will you marry me? Right now?" Harry asked Ginny across the room who was crying hard now. Ron looked relieved by this.
"Ginny! Go to Harry now!" Ron ordered her sister who smiled through her tears.
"'Mione, what are you still doing there? Run after Malfoy! Now!" Hermione couldn't help but smile.
"I'm going, Ronald!" And everyone chuckled as Ron turned red.
"Hermione, I think you will find my son in his study. Be careful with your child now!" Narcissa suddenly said as she stood up.
"Thank you, Narcissa." And with that she made her way to the Malfoy Manor up to Draco's study.
Meanwhile Draco was indeed in his study, looking at a photograph of Hermione continuously beaming at him.
"I don't think I will ever find someone like you," Draco muttered to himself. He was surprised when the door clashed open making way for a panting, and a very pregnant Hermione.
"Draco, let me talk first. I… I'm here because of you. I want to tell you how much I love you. I am so in love with you that I imagine myself having kids with curly bond hair and silver eyes or straight brown with silver eyes. I imagine myself with you every Valentine's Day. To make the kids sleep with bedtime stories or stories of how we got together.
"I can't imagine someone else picking berries in the fields in the middle of the night. I can't imagine anyone else who would go to Muggle London just to buy me doughnuts or deal with my emotional breakdowns. Someone who will do everything just to make me comfortable. Who will fight for me when some ex- girlfriend comes and attacks me. I only imagine you, Draco Malfoy, to do such things for me. Not Harry Potter. Not Ron Weasley. Not Viktor Krum. You. I love you Draco, really I do."
When she finished her speech Draco just stared at her. Not just any stare, a cold stare. The one he gave her when they were at Hogwarts. When she saw that she cried harder.
Her eyes were closed when Draco's beautiful lips curved into a smile. He slowly walked to Hermione and wrapped her into his arms.
Hermione's eyes shot open as she smelled the all too familiar scent of his cologne and the feel of his arms around her.
"You don't know how happy you made me just by being here." He told her as he ran his hand through her hair. He kissed her forehead and wiped a single tear.
To Draco's surprise Hermione slapped him
"Ouch! What was that for?" Draco asked rubbing his throbbing cheek.
"I was just checking if this is a dream," Hermione said with a chuckle.
"Then why did you have to slap me?" Draco asked, pouting.
"What? You want me to hurt myself?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and was answered by a passionate kiss from her one and only love, Draco Malfoy.
A/N: Thanks for reading! And now, I would appreciate it very much if you will give me your views on the story/chapter. Thanks again! Hope to see you all soon! Thanks to kiKi for being my BETA.