58. January
The morning of their wedding, snow falls effortlessly and she enjoys the moment of quiet as she watches it fall.
Minutes before, Ginny dragged her out of Ron's bed at the Burrow because she was supposed to be spending the night in hers at her parents. She couldn't bear to be away from Ron when there was nothing to force them apart.
The forecast announces snow fall for the whole day and Hermione pictures the garden at the Burrow, where they will celebrate their union, covered in white. She sighs contentedly, feeling everything falling in place.
Then Ginny comes back in, Fleur and Hermione's her mother in tow and there is nothing quiet and peaceful about their arrival. The next three hours are a blur of makeup, dresses, laughter as every woman in her close entourage gives her advice on how to maintain a good marriage.
She nearly chokes on her tea when Ron's aunt Muriel whispers to her that it's all about keeping her man satisfied, adding a saucy wink for good measure.
Suddenly, Hermione gets more nervous than she remembers being in a long time. She tries to pinpoint what makes her apprehensive. After all, Ron and her are already living together and everyone tells them they've been acting like a married couple for decades. Ginny, always able to read her, Ginny smiles as she retells the events of the Yule Ball and how Krump being her cavalier made Ron see green. Every woman in the room laughs and look at her with a knowing grin.
Hermione feels everything shift. The nerves dissipates and the quiet serenity she felt as she watched the snow fall envelops her once again.
Because she's marrying her best friend and they've been by each other's side for years. And yes, they've had tough times, and the war changed them, and sometimes she cannot take how insufferable he can be. But she knows they can make things work. They've been through so much. They've known each other before and after.
Yet, years later, they're still together.
She recalls standing in the dusk, on the beach of Shell Cottage, after escaping what should have been certain death. She remembers the salty breeze, the waves crashing like nothing had changed, like her world hadn't been turned upside down, like she hadn't almost died. She remembers Ron standing tall next to her, slipping his hand in hers and not saying a word.
Hermione recalls of how calm she'd felt then, and how sure that if they'd made it out of the war alive, he would be the one she'd spend her life with. Marriage, kids, career, she had wanted it all, with him by her side.
She still does.
Later, when they twirl on the dance floor as a married couple, she smiles gleefully and tells him she loves him, feeling as calm and alive as she had years before when she'd first dreamt of this day.
