Chapter Seventy-Five: The Wedding

A few days later Severus had taken Harry to go get his hair trimmed and while Lily was home with her other children her telephone rang. It turned out to be her older sister Petunia announcing the fact that she was now dating a wizard and had a rather strong romantic relationship with him. She also called to say that her eldest daughter Stevie was now engaged to be married to the muggle that she had been dating for years and she should be getting an owl about it soon.

Shortly after Harry and his father returned, they did wind up receiving not only an invitation to the wedding itself, but an invitation to be a part of the wedding party. Since they were the youngest two girls, Gia and Heather would be tested to see who would play the part of the flower girl. Severus simply just heaved a sigh. He was looking forward to seeing his daughter again, but he couldn't believe that she was really getting married.

He hadn't seen her in such a long time and her situation currently reminded him a lot of Draco's situation with an abusive father, but at least he had a somewhat better relationship with his mother. Stevie's and Chase's friends were the best man and maid of honor, but Harry and (most) all of his siblings were the groomsmen and bridesmaids. Gia was upset because eventually the part of the flower girl went to Heather because she didn't try to push her sister over when it was her turn or steal everlasting rose petals.

Harry's friends had also been invited to attend the wedding and currently Hermione was inside the lady's restroom working on her hair and makeup while Harry, Draco, and Neville waited with Ron and the other guys. Her hairstyle was the same as it was at the Yule ball, but this time she had on a bright red dress with thin straps on her shoulders. She also had on matching lipstick and nail polish, and light pink eyeshadow with just a hint of blush.

Draco suddenly felt like he stopped breathing as she came out of the restroom in her pair of black flats. "You look magical." He told her with a grin before she stifled a laugh.

"Well I should hope so." She told him as he smiled back at her.

"Speaking of magic, I think something magical is happening without any magic at all." Ginny whispered into Sarah's ear while a wide grin stretched across her face, but Ron didn't look the slightest bit pleased.

"Care to sit with me Miss Granger?" Draco questioned her with a grin before offering his hand to her and as she quickly accepted it, he kissed the back of it and Hermione blushed as red as her dress while he led her to their pew. As they sat down, Hermione looked across the row and saw Severus and Lily there and smiled brightly at them in which they returned. Hermione heaved a dreamy sigh while she closed her eyes and rested her head against Draco's shoulder.

Both of them desperately tried to ignore the snarky whispery comments made by Stevie's Slytherin friends about how that it should be illegal for a pureblood and a mudblood to be together. Tears silently rolled down Hermione's cheeks and Draco seeing this rested his chin on top of her head. "Don't pay any attention to them." He whispered to her. "It isn't your fault. You can't control what kind of blood you were born with." He told her and that's when suddenly Hermione lifted her head off his shoulder and was now half-laughing and half-crying.

"Who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?" She wondered as he stifled a laugh and placed a tender hand to her cheek.

"You did it Granger. You made me see how wrong my father was and just because I was born a Malfoy doesn't mean I have to act like one and have the same attitude. I want to be with you. I don't care who knows it." He told her while rubbing her tears away with his thumb.

"Oh Draco." Hermione whispered moving her face closer to his, but that's when suddenly the ceremony began, and everybody turned their heads to watch. Once the bride entered the room Draco and Hermione got to their feet along with everybody else inside of the pews. "She looks beautiful." Hermione whispered once she caught her first glimpse of Stevie. For even though she didn't have on the typical wedding dress nothing could change her mind about that.

"Her dress sort of reminds me of Slytherin. Except it's mint green instead of bright green." He told her quietly while leaning into her and Hermione nodded.

"I think that's why she chose it." She told him and suddenly the wedding march came to an end and Stevie and her father stopped walking along with it.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman_" The minister began, but everything after that to Draco was a blur. For all he could think about was Hermione and himself in their place and how this could be their wedding in a few short years. However, that's when suddenly a scary thought occurred to him. What if neither of their parents approved of it? What would they do? Run away and elope?

Eventually, even though Severus was reluctant to let go of his daughter at first (in which he finally did) the minister introduced Chase and Stevie as husband and wife for the first time and they shared their first marital kiss in front of the applauding and cheering congregation. Draco felt his stomach making a bunch of noises as he turned to look at Hermione again and smiled at her. Half of him felt sick, and half of him felt as warm and toasty as he did when he would go and warm up in front of the Slytherin common room fire on a cold day. There was currently a monster inside his stomach roaring at him and telling him to ask her out. However, there was still a part of him that was afraid of rejection.

Hehe, anybody get the monster in the stomach reference? ;)