Hermione stood outside the door with the bouquet in one of her hands. The oak doors looked as heavy as she felt. Her nerves got the best of her as she stood waiting for them to open, but despite it all, she waited her whole life for this day and nothing could ruin it for her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing her body to ease and expel some of the energy building inside her.

Her eyes fluttered open as she felt a hand slid into hers and comfortingly squeeze it.

"Ready?" He said, beeping at her.

She smiled at him and the doors opened as the DJ announced their enterance.

The reception felt like a blur to Hermione as the people and ceremonies swirled around her. Food seemed like a far off thought on the day as one guest after another pulled them away. Whenever she got close to taking a bite of something, it seemed someone would tap on one of the glass cups in an effort to get them to kiss in celebration of the marriage. Wedding seemed to be the only time everyone were okay with the public display of affection and requested it so often air seemed optional.

Ginny walked up to Hermione as she talked to another long lost relative she met once when she was five. "Sorry, I need to steal her for an important wedding detail," Ginny excused Hermione and walked through the doors they'd entered at the beginning of the recieption into the entrance hall of the church. They'd forsaken a lot of the wizarding wedding traditions for muggle ones because of her family.

"What's up?" Asked Hermione as she swiped a stray piece of hair out of her face.

"Nothing. I just thought you could use a break to catch your breath. Between kissing and talking to people, I haven't seen you give yourself a rest period."

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm so tired of talking. I could use some water if you don't mind."

Ginny smiled and walked away to fetch the water. A deep breath of air escaped Hermione's mouth as she leaned against the hallway wall. She knew she was an introvert, but the wedding exhausted her to a level she never quite had experienced before.

With the noise from the wedding dulled, she felt the nagging pain of a mild headache. Between the noise, talking and emotions, the headache was bound to show up, but hopefully the water would help temper it for the last couple hours of the reception. She was just grateful to have a little time alone right now.

"Hermione, I've been looking every where for you."

She looked toward the reception and saw Grant jogging in her direction. "Oh hi." She said, smiling toward him. "Sorry, I just needed a minute of silence and no people. Ginny went to go get me some water"

"Facing the line up of old friends and family, huh?" She nodded, and he continued, "Yeah, I've been struggling to get away from some of them as well. For as old as some of them are, they really can keep talking. Once they get their hooks in you, it's hard to escape."

"You can say that again."

Ginny came back and handed Hermione the water as she smiled at Grant, muttering a hello. "Are you ready to go back inside for our dance?" Grant smiled and asked gently. "Just whenever you're ready I'll be inside waiting."

Hermione nodded, clutching her cup of water and taking a few more sips as she enjoyed her last minute of peace.

"Okay let's go," Hermione told Ginny after sometime and followed her back to the reception hall. As they walked in, Hermione caught a glimpse of entrance and swore she saw a tall man with shaggy black hair standing inside it looking at her.

He paused as she stared at him, but she didn't know what he was looking at. She paused for a moment and took a step toward him, but Ginny grabbed her wrist. Hermione looked at her shocked at the touch, forgetting about the reception for a moment.

"Hermione," Ginny looked at her concerned, "Are you alright?"

Hermione looked back toward the doors but the man was gone. Hermione took a drink of her water and said yes before falling Ginny into the hall and hearing the DJ's voice announce, "Alright, Alright, I want to now invite the bride and groom to the dance floor for their first dance as Husband and Wife."

Ginny smiled at Hermione and took her glass of water. Hermione walked to the middle of the floor and took Grant's hand.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear as he pulled her close.

The words echoed in her head as she heard another voice say them to her over a year ago.

"It's time." The wedding planner said, "You look beautiful."

Hermione barely heard her as she chanced another glance at the door which slowly swung closed. He left. Harry left her wedding without a word. He didn't even say goodbye, and she felt her heart break inside her as hollowness chilled her to the bone.

The wedding planner didn't notice her being off in the slightest and linked Hermione's arm through her fathers. She kept reciting instructions to Hermione, but she barely heard her through the thoughts spinning through her head.

She never imagined getting married without Harry beside her side. She loved Grant, but she'd always thought she'd end up with Harry standing at the alter waiting for her to walk down the aisle with, but she waited for years for him to man up and ask her. She waited for him to share her feelings, but after years passed, she couldn't wait.

Grant lead her so well and cared for her so deeply. He was everything she could've asked for in a guy, and she always felt so loved and cherished with him. He was not the problem; she was.

She thought she could do this, but there would always be a piece of her missing. After years of friendship with Harry, there was a piece of her only he could ever understand, and she knew it would never quite go away. She needed to know.

"Daddy…" Hermione said turning to her father just as the doors were about to open.

"I know…" He walked away and went to talk to her mother and the wedding coordinator who promptly disappeared into the church.

Hermione looked at the ring on her finger, messing with it mindlessly as she watched the image of Harry standing in the door again in her mind. All the moments of growing up together and the emotions as things changed between them over time. She watched as Grant interrupted him about to ask her to the Yule ball. She hadn't realized it back then, but over the years, she realized it was the lynchpin of their relationship. He had tried to change things, but he allowed someone else to step in before he could.

She closed her hands as she felt the tears sting. This was the hardest thing she would ever have to do in her life, but she knew it was the right decision even if it hurt.

"Hermione?" Grant's soothing voice broke into her thoughts as she felt his hands grab hers.

She looked up at him and smiled as the tears streamed down her face. "I'm so sorry." She said, sliding the ring into his hands as the cupped hers. "I just can't." She whispered.

She didn't wait for his answer. She just ran out the doors away from everyone she knew and loved.

She hated that she let it get this far to begin with. It wasn't fair for her to leave Grant to pick up the pieces. It wasn't fair that he would have to tell everyone her decision and stand in front of everyone to face the rejection public.

She messed up. She should've forced Harry to be honest with her years ago. She should've been honest with him herself so she would've known and could've moved on without hurting anyone. Their mess caused so much pain and embarrassment not only for Grant but both their families. They acted like kids in love when they should've been adults about it all and had a conversation about it. Harry should have gotten the courage to tell her the truth before Grant proposed and allowed her to make the decision to chose between the two of them.

He should have given them a chance before now.

Hermione stood outside the door and looked at the bouquet in her hand. She carried it with her since she ran out and let go, forgetting she no longer needed them. She had been so lost in her thoughts she didn't even really know where she apparated.

The tears followed down her cheeks, but she didn't care in this moment. She knocked on the door and waited. She knew she looked like a mess, standing with runny makeup and in a wedding dress, but as the door opened it seemed irrelevant.

"It was always supposed to be you." She said as the door opened.

"Hermione…"

Hermione looked up at Harry who stood beside Grant smiling. "May I cut in?" He asked as Grant stepped to the side and forced a smile before walking away.

"Alright. Alright. It is now time for the bride and groom to share their first dance as Husband and Wife."

Harry smiled as he pulled Hermione close to him and started to slow dance with her. "Wife." He chuckled, "I like the sound of that."

"You're lucky I ran out on Grant then. Otherwise, we would be having a very different discussion right now."

"Yeah, I think he still is holding it against me." Harry told her with a grimace.

"I think it'll take more than a year to work through what happened, but he does seem happy with Ginny." Hermione said, glancing over to see them flirting on the sidelines.

"I'm shocked you were brave enough to dance with him in front of her. I hear she has a nasty bat boogey hex she likes to cast on people that get in her way," he chuckled.

"Well, it's a good thing she has 6 brothers then; I'm the closest thing she'll ever get to a sister." Hermione retorted. "She was there when he asked, and even if you don't like it, he was a safe quiet space for me to get some peace and quiet around. Every time I'm near you — ." A dinging noise interrupted her statement as they danced, and Harry perked up as he leaned in to kiss her. "That happens, and I needed a break."

Harry beamed proud to be able to kiss Hermione so much. "Well, as long as you're always mine from here on out, I don't care who you dance with."

"Harry, it was always supposed to be you." She told him as the song ended and the dinging began again. Harry grabbed her and dipped her into a deep kiss.

"For the last time tonight, I would like to introduce you to…" The DJ's voice echoed throughout the room. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter."

Notes:

It's been a long time coming. The final chapter to this decade long writing journey. Once I went past the one shot story of the first chapter I always knew how it would end, but I never felt like I knew how to write the last chapter and do it the justice it deserved.

Thank you everyone who has read it over the years and stuck with it for so long. I know I've been slow about it as I have allowed life take priority and rarely get the opportunity to return to Hogwarts, but this story has been one that continues to shock me and continue to bless me as a writer as it regularly gains new readers and reviewers despite long gaps between updates. I never thought it would end how it did or grow how it has, but I'm grateful to everyone who has given me the opportunity to write it and joined me for the journey. I don't know if there are any more journey's left for Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Ron and I to go on, and this could be the last time I ever write a Harry Potter fan fiction piece. Thanks for all my loyal readers and reviewers, and I hope you never let the magic go out regardless of where life takes you. Long Live Harry Potter.

Always,