A quick note on last chapter-I guess I should have stated this last chapter in the A/N - I realize that people have varying opinions on marriage out of wedlock etc. The events in this story are plot devices only and in no way are meant to represent my opinion either way. This is why I also made sure to represent several views through the different characters . It does make sense to me that wizards would be old fashioned however, whether or not that opinion is right. That should cover it. :) Happy reading !
Real A/N-I just have to quickly express gratitude and amazement for breaking 200 followers. When I started writing, I never dreamt I'd reach 50 or a 100, let alone 200! I want to thank each and every one of you for taking enough interest and time out of your day to read my little fic. Each follow really does provide motivation. Often I'm short on inspiration or am tired, but I think of you all waiting and I write a chapter. So thank you, and also much thanks to those of you who favourite or review. But enough from me-here's the next chapter; enjoy!
"WHERE'S MY BOUQUET? WHERE'S MY BOUQUET? SOMEONE TELL ME NOW WHERE MY BOUQUET IS OR ELSE I'll HEX THE NEXT PERSON I SEE SO BADLY THAT THEY'LL HAVE BAT BOOGERS POURING OUT OF THEIR NOSTRILS UNTIL NEXT CHRISTMAS!"
Ginny and Harry were getting married that day. As was probably obvious, Ginny was a nervous bride. The groom-to-be and the other men (his groomsmen interestingly enough,) had vacated the premises under the pretext of "going to get ready," when in reality, they just wanted to get away from Ginny before losing a limb. The bridesmaids had no such luck, and were doing their best to sedate Ginny in such a tactful way that they didn't put themselves in mortal danger. Between her nerves and her pregnancy hormones, she really was a ticking time bomb.
At long last, it was time for the ceremony, and it was with a sigh of relief that Hermione, the maid of honour, took her place next to Ron who naturally was seeing as the best man. At least now if Ginny went on a rampage, there were a hundred other guests which greatly improved her odds of not being hit.
As they walked up the aisle behind Parvati and Blaise to the tune being played by the musicianless violins stationed at each row of chairs up the aisle, Hermione couldn't help feeling great apprehension, not only for Ginny and Harry, but for herself. This was the first wedding. The Ministry was really going through with this. This was the final nail in the coffin so to speak.
Yet as she observed Harry and Ginny exchange their vows, all that she could feel was great happiness. Never before had she seen such expressions of love and joy. Harry looked as though he was looking at the most brilliant sight he had ever seen, and Ginny's nerves seemed to have dissipated, for she was radiant in her dress and in her happiness. Hermione knew then that they were going to be just fine, and that in fact, nothing could have made them happier than to be wed. She wondered if she would even come close to feeling that level of happiness when it was her turn.
Thanks to Ginny's and Harry's tireless planning and a lot of help and expertise from Mrs. Weasley, the reception was incredible. A large gold tent had been erected near the black lake. It had been enchanted to ward off bugs and to maintain a pleasant temperature. Floating candles floated above the lake, providing a mesmerising view. The most incredible part however, was the light in the tent itself, for it seemed to come from the canvas itself. It emitted a golden glow which created a cosy atmosphere and made everything and everyone look slightly surreal and mesmerising. At least, that's how Draco felt about Hermione. In her ruby red bridesmaid dress which brought out the chocolate warmth of her eyes and the blush in her cheeks, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She truly was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He felt the way he had when he had seen her at the Yule Ball. All that he had wanted to do was to take her onto the dance floor and snog her senseless, but he had been expected to hate her; to jeer and make cruel jokes at her expense. Now, he was expected to whirl her onto the dance floor; to dance the night away with her and tell her that he loved her. He needed no further prompting for that.
As he dragged her onto the dance floor and pulled her close, he murmured intimately into her ear.
"You are the most beautiful woman in the world. In that dress, you are even more of a goddess-like vision than usual." All the while, he revelled at the sensation of having her in his arms, knowing that she was his and he hers. This incredible woman was betrothed to him. The notion took his breath away.
Hermione too was in a daze, hers caused by his loving words. She never thought any man would say such things about her, and here Draco Malfoy was saying them. What's more, he seemed absolute in his sincerity. Even though they loved one-another, the oddity of their situation hit her occasionally. She simply struggled to get past their history sometimes. The day to day pattern of living together was wearing on her as well. It seemed to magnify all of the little mannerisms and habits Draco had that annoyed her. She was struggling to find a way to look past them and focus on the positive things, for there were many of them. With that in mind, Hermione pushed aside her many doubts and resolved to have a fun-filled, quality evening with her friends and her doting fiancée.
"Your not so bad yourself!" She grinned, reaching up on her tip-toes to give him a peck.
When the couples returned to their rooms in the wee hours of morning, they all made sure to find the energy to put up silencing charms around their respective rooms, since the ministry official had explained to them that due to the expedited nature of their program, the couples would not be going on their Ministry-funded honeymoon trip until the following summer. However, the blushing ministry official had explained that the couples who had married were to move on to the next phase of the program, baby making, and were therefore still responsible for accomplishing all that a honeymoon entailed. While Ginny and Harry were technically ahead of the game, none of their peers doubted that they were still going to go through the motions so to speak.
Ginny and Harry didn't come down for breakfast or lunch the following day (which elicited snickers and jokes that shall not be repeated from Theo and Blaise) but they were at dinner, and Ginny made sure to sit by Hermione so that the two could catch up.
After squealing and gushing about the ceremony and the party the night before, Hermione took a moment and really studied her newly-wed best girlfriend.
"You know Gin, you really are glowing," she commented.
"It's funny you should say that," Ginny replied. "That's exactly how I feel. There's just something about knowing that Harry is mine, that there's a certificate and a magical bond to prove it, that feels so incredible. It's awe-inspiring and so comforting to know that I now have a life-partner who will be with me through all the challenges that life is sure to throw my way. Its made our love even stronger than before, which I didn't think possible. Plus it doesn't hurt to know I can jump him any time I please!" She giggled, imitating Parvati's usual eyebrow waggle.
Hermione chuckled at that, but inwardly was processing Ginny's words very seriously. Somehow, having this insight from a friend who could now speak from experience gave a whole new perspective, and one that she felt she could trust. She thought about how much she loved Harry and Ron, even though they drove her up the wall. Yet she still loved them unconditionally, and saw past their annoying habits. Shouldn't the same logic apply to Draco? Besides, she was sure that she had qualities that he disliked. But wasn't that what marriage was about? Loving and supporting each other in spite of those differences; and working to overcome them because the love was strong enough to overcome any amount of negativity? Having someone you could count on through thick and thin, because they loved you? No one said that marriage was easy, but as Hermione thought about it, she realised that Draco had certainly proved that he was up to the challenge. As she reflected, she came to the realisation that lately, it hadn't been him who wasn't ready, but her. Well she was now. In fact, as she told him later after a passionate kiss,
"I can't wait."
