Title: Hermione's Helping Hand

Harry's Wedding

Hermione had a lot to think about over the next several days. She didn't even notice what other people were doing or the lives they were leading. One morning she entered the Great Hall to find it decked in white. Hermione looked around at the four house tables, which had little fringes of white. White silk, white satin, white everything.

" W-What's going on?" Hermione asked. " Who's getting married?"

" Harry is!" Minerva said. " Why, didn't you hear?"

Hermione shook her head.

" Where have you been?"

" I don't know!" Hermione answered.

" Can I ask you a question?" Hermione asked Professor Brown.

" What?"

" Where have I been?"

Lavender looked at her, confused.

" I mean, I walk into the Great Hall and its getting prepared for a wedding, and I didn't know that, and then I find out that its Harry's wedding, and I didn't even know about that. Where have I gone wrong?"

" You haven't gone wrong anywhere, you've just been thinking about so many things, and things have passed you by."

" But why didn't Harry tell me, he always tells me things?"

Lavender sighed.

" Well its all part of growing up," Lavender explained. " Harry is doing his own thing and you've got your own thing. Soon you'll move on and you won't even know what the other person is doing, which will be fine with you."

" No it won't!" Hermione muttered.

Lavender grinned at her.

" Trust me, it will be."

When Hermione returned to her quarters Tonks was helping out with getting everything ready for next month's delivery. Tonks was already looking as though she would give birth at any moment and she seemed happy about that.

" Did you know that Harry is getting married?" Hermione asked her, as soon as she stepped in.

Tonks looked at her, and nodded.

" I bet Ginny is going to be so happy!" Hermione muttered. " And me, I'm the only one that didn't even know about it."

" She will!" Tonks said. " She's going to make a wonderful bride!"

Hermione lowered herself slowly in the chair. She looked glum and depressed.

" Look, Harry tried to tell you that he was getting married, but you were off in your own little world," Tonks said. " I guess after telling you ten times, he gave up."

" Who's going to be there?"

" Everyone, except you."

Hermione at once looked outraged. How dare Harry not invite her to his own wedding.

" He tried to drop off the invitation, but you never answered the door, so he gave up."

Hermione muttered to herself.

"Look, I'll see if he still wants to invite you," Tonks told her. " And if so, then I'll see you there."

Hermione didn't have a good day, for the rest of the day. She listened as everyone talked about how wonderful the bride was going to be. The Slytherins were saying that she was only marrying him because he was famous. Hermione didn't like this, and at once told Ginny.

" Well I don't care what they say," Ginny said. " Were in love, and that's all that matters."

Hermione wished it was as easy as that.

Harry dropped off the invitation to his wedding after she came back from Ancient Runes. Hermione was very grateful that he was inviting her and apologized about what she had done.

" Its all right!" he told her. " And thanks for defending my soon-to-be wife."

Hermione gave him a small smile, and then said, " it was nothing."

On the day of Harry's wedding, Minerva told them that she had special quarters for them, to which Harry was glad about. The wedding took place in the Great Hall and was very emotional, especially for Minerva. She cried into Remus's chest and looked very unMinervalike.

" I wonder if she's that emotional?" Ron asked, once the wedding was over.

" I hope not," Hermione said.

Severus was the only one that didn't go to the wedding. He explained that he felt out-of-place among all those that had supported the Potters through the years. When Hermione asked him why, he sited what he had done.

" I heard part of the prophecy, I had no business at Harry's wedding."

Hermione felt bad for him, but then she laid a plate before him.

" From the wedding," she told him, as he unwrapped it. " I thought you might like to have some of the food."

" Thanks!" said Severus, as he dived in.

On Monday, Harry and Ginny weren't in lessons. Remus explained, when Hermione approached him, that they were on their honeymoon and removed from the burden of having to go to lessons.

" How long do you think it will last?" Hermione asked him.

Remus looked at her.

" Sorry, a lot of people give their input about how long the marriage will last, it's a Muggle thing."

" I give it until the end of time," Remus answered.

" Me too!" Hermione said. " Nothing can possibly go wrong to ruin their marriage."

Hermione didn't know how wrong she would soon be.