I don't own the characters or setting, they belong to JKR :)
While Hermione was with the girls, George ended up down in the kitchen with the men of the house. Ron, Harry, Charlie, Bill, and Arthur were all grabbing a quick breakfast before they were needed to raise the tent in the back. George cleared his throat and they all looked at him in curiosity. George stood, facing everyone.
"Well, I had been planning to wait for Hermione, but it might just make it easier if I tell you all now. Me and Hermione are together, she's my girlfriend" He said and different expressions filled the men's faces. Ron wasn't pleased, Harry and Arthur looked to be pleased, Charlie and Bill both nodded as if it was something they had known all along.
"Well it took long enough" Bill chuckled and George felt a blush creep up his neck. Ron scoffed and they all turned to him.
"Sorry mate, but I always kind of thought you and Hermione were just a fling" Bill chuckled and Ron's face went red. He stood up, his fists in balls. Harry stood up beside him, an annoyed look on his face.
"Ron, just give it a rest. This has been going on for a while, and you've really hurt your friendship with Hermione. Don't ruin this day please" He said harshly and George sat down, stunned. Harry rarely was one for confrontation, but to be defended by him to his best friend, George was touched. Ron's face was red, but he nodded, heading out the back door.
"Thanks mate" George nodded towards Harry who smiled awkwardly at him. They all headed outside to raise the tent and get the garden ready.
Upstairs, the girls had finished with Margot's hair and makeup. Her dress hung by the door, ready to be put on at any minute. The girls scattered to get themselves ready. Hermione, Ginny, and Angelina slipped into the twin's room. They all did their own make up, Hermione going for a more subtle look, including blush, eyeliner, mascara, and touching up her eyebrows. Ginny and Angelina both had smokey eyes, and bright lips.
"Hermione, can you help me with my hair? I'd like to do an updo like the one you had at the Yule ball" Ginny asked with a smile. Hermione stepped over to her, twisting her pretty red hair between her fingers. She cast a few beauty spells to hold the hair in place, and put a few pearl clips to hold the rest. She looked beautiful.
"Angelina, you look so nice. I haven't seen your dress yet, what does it look like?" Hermione chatted and Angelina blushed, unzipping her dress bag to reveal a shiny gold floor length gown. It wasn't too poofy, but she had certainly gone all out.
"I really wanted to impress Fred, ever since what happened, it feels like we've had a fresh start, and well I want him to look at me the way George looks at you" Angelina gushed to Hermione, who felt tears rise in her eyes.
"Oh Angie, you look gorgeous and Fred will most definitely think so" Hermione smiled and then Ginny spoke up.
"Wow, imagine us all being in relationships, happy as can be. I never thought we'd get this far to be honest" She chuckled awkwardly. The other two nodded, understanding the feeling. The war had affected them all deeply.
"Here Hermione, let me do your hair" Angelina said, pushing Hermione down into a chair. She twisted her curly hair into a half updo, leaving a curtain of loose curls fall around her neck. She slipped in a light blue clip and uttered a beauty spell to get rid of the frizz and tame the wild curls. Hermione looked in the mirror, a soft smile on her face.
"Wow, thank you" She whispered, touching the soft curls that framed her face. Angelina smiled and Hermione glanced at her watch.
"It's noon, so we should get our dresses on and head down to finish helping" They nodded and each slipped into their dresses.
"Wow Hermione, that dress was made for you" Angelina complimented and Hermione felt her face redden. She whispered a quiet thank you before they all filed down the stairs. Hermione looked around, anxious for a certain redhead. A voice rose from behind her, making her spin around.
"Wow 'Mione, you look amazing" Harry said, a bright smile on his face. Hermione's face lit up and she pulled her friend into a hug.
"Harry! Thank you, you should probably head up to get ready, the day is moving faster than I had expected" She chuckled and Harry nodded, eyes scanning the room. Hermione gave him a knowing smile.
"She went to the kitchen to see Molly I think" She spoke and Harry chuckled with a nod before slipping away. Hermione followed him after a moment's glance around the empty room. Molly pointed out several platters of food, and Hermione levitated them out to the tent, following behind the other girls. She could hear gushing about how nice Ginny looked and she felt herself smile. She was so happy for them. She slipped under the white tent and placed the food with the other trays, recharming them to stay heated, when she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She spun around, excitement filling her, only to meet a different pair of blue eyes. Fred gave her an apologetic shrug.
"Sorry to disappoint Granger, but I am looking for Angelina, you girls took forever up there" He teased and she chuckled with him.
"I am pretty sure I saw her head back upstairs after she left this tent" Hermione gestured back to the house and Fred nodded with a thankful smile. He glanced down at her and let out a low whistle. Hermione's cheeks inflamed instantly.
"Damn, you really do clean up nicely" He teased and she swatted his shoulder.
"Thank you though. Um, have you seen your brother by chance?" She asked, trying to appear nonchalant. Fred laughed and shook his head no.
"After he told everyone you were his girlfriend he disappeared, haven't seen him for a while. Are you feeling okay? I doubt he left the property" He asked, his face layered with concern. Hermione smiled at him, nodding.
"I feel okay, we had a potion earlier, but I am not sure how much longer we have before we might need to take another" She said and he nodded, giving her a quick hug before heading inside. Guests arrived and Hermione found herself chatting with previous teachers, and friends. As the loud bell that rang to signal the ceremony sounded, Hermione was chatting with Luna. Her friend was wearing a puffy purple layered dress that made her hair really stand out. The girls quickly said goodbye and Hermione rushed back into the house to find Ginny. Neither girl was in the wedding party, but they weren't upset about that.
Hermione stepped into the kitchen and a smile rose on her face. The man she had been looking for all day now stood with his back to her. Hermione stepped up behind him and tapped his shoulder. He spun around, surprised. Then as his eyes locked with hers, she could see him taking her appearance in. His eyes drifted down her body, admiring her dress. He sucked in a breath.
"Merlin, look at you" He whispered and a blush rose in her cheeks. She played with a curl of hair nervously.
"Thank you, you look really handsome" She whispered back, noticing his dark grey suit and light blue tie against his white shirt. He smirked and Hermione noticed he was holding a small box in his hand. He followed her gaze and his eyes widened, like he had been caught with something he shouldn't have. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"I uh, well I wanted to give this to you later, but I can't very well hide it now" He chuckled, handing her the small box. She sucked in a breath as her hands brushed against the purple velvet. She flipped open the box, holding her breath, as she laid eyes on a delicate pearl necklace. It was beautiful, from the thin gold chain to the little teardrop pearl. Tears rose in her eyes as she looked back up at George. He looked nervously at her.
"George, it's beautiful. You didn't have to" She whispered and he smiled, relieved. He gently took the box from her hands, and stepped behind her. She lifted her hair out of the way and felt his hands brush against her bare neck, sending a shiver down her spine. He stepped back around to admire it on her neck. Her hand reached up to touch it, a soft smile on her face. She stepped close to him, standing on her toes to place a kiss on his lips. He smiled against her and his hands wove themselves together behind her back. Footsteps echoed behind them.
"The wedding is starting you two, you can snog later!" Molly huffed, pulling them apart. Hermione laughed and George shot his mother an annoyed look.
The ceremony was beautiful, both Charlie and Margot looked so in love. Hermione's eyes found George's as made his way over to her. His eyes gave away his feelings, and Hermione could tell he felt like she did. Maybe one day they'd get a wedding as amazing as this. They made their way over to the reception tent, music and chatter loud around them. Everyone was buzzing with happiness. George led Hermione through the crowd of people, his large hand resting on the small of her back. She smiled and whispered hellos as they made their way over to a table. There weren't seating arrangements at this wedding and although Hermione found it unusual, George told her it was common for wizarding weddings. They wouldn't be eating for a while, but Hermione wasn't quite ready to dance yet. Her hand played with the pearl around her neck and she watched as George chatted with Remus, who had come over to them.
The music started to die down, and after they all enjoyed the dinner, speeches began. Hermione sat between Fred and George, across from Angelina. Friend's of Charlie's all got up and told stories of his time in Romania, and Hermione laughed along with them. It was interesting learning about the Weasley she knew least about. She could see him chuckling from where he was sitting next to Margot. Eventually, Fred and George made their way to the stage, much to Hermione's surprise.
"We never imagined our dragon loving brother would ever find someone,"
"Let alone a pretty witch, who enjoyed them as much as he did"
"Margot, thank you for loving our brother the way he deserves"
"Welcome to the family" They finished together, and the crowd cheered. Hermione was touched, the twins always surprising her with their kindness. She watched Margot wipe a tear from her eye with a smile.
Speeches ended, and soon the tables were cleared away to create a real dance floor. Charlie and Margot had their first dance, and were soon joined by many people as the band picked up. The music was loud and exciting, and Hermione was enjoying watching the twins dance with each other and Ginny. Angelina had remained at the table with Hermione.
"You and George seem to be quite happy today" Angelina chatted and Hermione's face lifted with a smile.
"We are quite happy, he gave this to me today…" She trailed off, looking down at the necklace. Angelina smiled, touching it lightly.
"It's beautiful. I am so happy for you two. You took a tough situation and made it into something amazing" Angelina said with a soft smile and Hermione found herself nodding. Suddenly another Weasley stepped up in front of her.
"Hi Ron" Hermione said hesitantly. He looked tired, and a little bit drunk. He was holding a glass of water, or at least she hoped it was water.
"Hey 'Mione, want to dance?" He asked and after a moment's hesitation, she nodded. He led her to the floor just as a slow song started to play. She sucked in an uncomfortable breath as she instantly regretted saying yes. She awkwardly placed her hands on his shoulders, careful to keep a good distance between them. His hands rested roughly on her waist, and her stomach became uneasy. They swayed in silence before Ron spoke again.
"You look good tonight" He said, trying to make eye contact with her. She nodded with a small smile.
"Thank you" She whispered, looking over his shoulder, searching for the person she had come with. He was slow dancing with Ginny, not having noticed them yet. Ron tugged her closer, and she squeaked.
"Ron-" She tried but he cut her off.
"What is it about him? What makes him so much better than me" He huffed in annoyance, and she could start to tell he had indeed been drinking.
"It's not that he's better than you Ron, it's different. He likes all the things I like, and he's thoughtful. We have conversations that aren't just about quidditch" She said with a sad sigh. He growled, his hands tightening on her waist. She sucked in a pained breath.
"Ron you're hurting me-" She started to whisper, but he cut her off again.
"You loved me before and I took too long, I know you still love me now, so I won't wait" He grumbled, then smashed his lips into hers. She gasped in surprise, trying to pull away from him. His hands held her firmly in place. Suddenly he was ripped away from her, thrown onto the ground. George looked ready to explode, as he stood over his brother on the ground. Hermione grabbed his hand, trying to steady him.
"George please, not here" She begged, and he turned to look at her. His anger faded slightly as he met her eyes. They both turned back to see Bill pulling Ron to his feet, shaking his head disapprovingly. Ron was shouting nonsense as Bill tugged him back into the house. George grabbed Hermione by the shoulders, turning her to face him.
"What just happened?" He asked, his face torn between frustration and worry. Hermione frowned at him.
"He asked for a dance. He's still my friend, George" She said, folding her arms. He shook his head in frustration.
"You know what he is like, why would you say yes?" He said, his eyes hard. She stepped back in shock.
"Do you not trust me? I'm sorry for hoping that even after everything that's happened I'd still like to believe everyone has good in them" She yelled, before realizing that all eyes were on them. She turned, stomping back to the house. He didn't follow her.
She flicked her wand, clearing the dirty dishes away. When he hadn't followed her, she decided to at least help Molly clean before leaving. She no longer wanted to dance, the fun from the day was gone. She could hear shouting from upstairs but she didn't go find out about what. Someone cleared their throat behind her. She spun around, ready to scream some more, but was stunned into silence. In front of her stood Remus Lupin, her old teacher from school. He looked uncomfortable.
"Er, I can come back if you're busy" He said with a small smile and Hermione shook her head, wiping her hands on a towel.
"No sir, I'm not busy, what is it? Are you enjoying the party?" She tried to put on a fake smile. He chuckled.
"More than you it sounds. I actually wanted to talk to you about your situation with Mr Weasley" He said, his voice light. Hermione's eyes widened in confusion. What could he want with her and George?
"Should we sit in the living room?" She asked and he nodded, leading the way. They sat side by side on the couch.
"Right, well I heard about your situation through Arthur actually, and took it upon myself to do some digging. I knew you would have scoured the books and libraries in the area, trying to take in as much knowledge as you can" He teased and her face reddened. He continued.
"So I thought maybe I'd check the ministry libraries for you, the ones I have access to. I was pleased to have found a few restricted novels on the exact spell you used" He explained and Hermione froze. She felt like the world had come to a halt, and she stared at him, wide eyed.
"Everything I read said there was no solution" She whispered. He nodded, with a smirk on his face.
"I thought that as well, until I stumbled upon a very recent copy of an advanced magical charms book. I was actually hoping to see you here to tell you about it. I have it at my home, but I would be able to owl it to you tomorrow" He said and she leapt to her feet, her mind going a mile a minute. She turned back to him.
"But why Professor?" She asked quietly. He stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You were always my favourite student" She felt a smile fill her face, and her foul mood faded away. There was hope again. She wanted to run and tell George, but she was still bitter about the whole situation.
"Thank you, so much Professor" She said sincerely and he nodded with a smile, before slipping away. Hermione thanked Molly, and asked her to apologize to everyone for her, then she turned on the spot, landing back at the twin's flat.
