Hello readers! I'm back with the second chapter! :) Because I'm a total space cadet, I didn't include my thank yous in the first chapter, so here they are! I want to thank leathena, Dadn14, The Queen of Hurts, Just Your Above Average Malfoy, ThePrimusLune, FallingforWerewolves, and The Mysterious E for their awesome reviews for "Of Course, Love" and "Of Course, Dear"; it's because of you guys that I feel encouraged to write more! Also, a huge thank you to all those who favorited! I love you all!
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Draco, Hermione, and Blaise in that exact order. But I don't, and never will. Too bad for me. :( But there is a spell in this story that is mine!
I've read countless Dramione wedding stories, and here's my take on it! Please enjoy!
"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take you, Hermione Jean Granger, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I take you, with all of your faults—though I have yet to see any—and strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults—we are all familiar with those—and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend the rest of my life with, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer. Before our family, friends, and extraneous guests—"
The groom waited impatiently for the audience to cease chuckling and for the reporters awkwardly standing on the sidelines to stop fidgeting before continuing in a loud and clear voice that rang with conviction.
"I swear upon the Malfoy name to love and to cherish you forever—I will do anything for you, and even death cannot part us, not if I have a say in it."
There were more whole-hearted laughs. Only Draco Malfoy could get away with a marriage vow that ridiculed others while it simultaneously emphasized his superiority and professed his love for the woman he was currently gazing at. Said woman wasn't pleased with the "extraneous guests" comment, as the two of them had never agreed upon its inclusion.
Knowing him, it must have been a "spontaneous" decision. She just knew he would say that it was his nature to include snarky remarks in some way, shape, or form in everything that he did.
Well, Hermione Granger would show him.
Giving the hands she held in her own a hard squeeze that tacitly conveyed a we-will-talk-about-this-later message, she took a deep breath before speaking confidently to the man before her and the quiet crowd in the background, just as she had in the very same hall three years ago. (Hermione and Draco had graduated as Valedictorian and Salutatorian respectively, of course.)
"And I, Hermione Jean Granger, take you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I take you, with all of your faults—they're perfectly reasonable—and strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults—I assure you that there are plenty—and strengths, I will help you when you need help, and will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend the rest of my life with, in sickness and in health, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer. Before our family, friends, and kind journalists—"
The bride waited patiently for the reporters to stop shooting gleeful looks at the people who had turned in their seats to regard them with outright disdain. It was clear that most of the invited guests did not like the presence of these individuals with quick-quotes quills. (Harry Potter had had enough with those bloody lying quills for a lifetime, but he opted to remain silent from where he was importantly seated in the front row.)
Draco arched an eyebrow at her challenging look, but wisely kept his mouth shut. There was no use in reminding her again about how threatening the wizarding press could be to their reputations. Hermione was well aware of that fact, but being the forgiving soul she was, she believed the press that had once caused them all much trouble had changed for the better after the war. She grinned triumphantly when she felt his hands give hers a light squeeze, signaling that he admitted defeat—for now.
"I vow to love and to cherish you forever—I will do anything for you as well, and even death cannot part us."
Standing importantly off to the side of the podium as the maid of honor, Ginny Weasley released a dreamy sigh, which earned her a curious glance from the best man, the one and only Blaise Zabini. She thought that the vows the couple had just exchanged were romantic—well, for the most part. Hermione had told her a few days ago that Draco insisted on making their wedding vows unforgettable. Apparently, Draco Malfoy's definition of "unforgettable" was dry humor with a heavy dose of the word "bloody." (That word appeared exactly ten times in the five lines he had written down on the piece of parchment he had smugly handed to his fiancée. His penmanship was elegant as always, but his crude words were not.) To make a long story short, Hermione made it very clear to him that there was no bloody way his "brilliant creation" (as he so humbly put it) would be well-received (by the elders of course…their friends and former classmates would no doubt find it highly entertaining). Luckily, Hermione managed to talk him (more like seduce him) into rewording and rephrasing a good majority of it. Their end product was an altered version of the standard Muggle wedding vows (to appease her parents) with a few humorous tidbits she deemed as appropriate, and they therefore decided to go with the wizarding way of exchanging rings (to appease Draco's parents).
"We shall now commence the exchanging of the rings." The Headmistress of Hogwarts announced in the authoritative voice that Hermione had heard on a daily basis for seven years. She smiled at Professor McGonagall, who gave her a small smile in return. Ron Weasley quietly snorted from his seat next to Harry. It was no secret that Hermione Granger had been and still was her favorite student.
The Great Hall was silent. All eyes turned expectantly to the best man, who had on his usual stoic mask. Blaise slowly and leisurely reached inside the jacket of his suit, as if no one was waiting on him when it was quite the opposite. Draco shot his friend a glare that screamed at him to hurry the hell up. The best man smirked in return and patted the pockets of his trousers before shrugging.
Either Blaise Zabini was up to something or something had gone amiss. (It was probably both—Blaise Zabini had caused something to go amiss.) He wasn't usually one to flash smirks like a certain blond wizard was known to do. Draco narrowed his eyes.
The Headmistress cleared her throat. "Mr. Zabini, is there a problem?"
"Not really, professor. I just can't seem to find the rings." He replied breezily.
It grew impossibly quieter for a few moments before the sound of multiple scratching quills resonated throughout the grand hall. Everyone was too preoccupied with the predicament at hand to even wonder what outrageous statements the quills were jotting down.
"WHAT?" Draco bellowed, dropping Hermione's hands to storm over to his best man.
Hermione was speechless, and she could feel a nervous breakdown on its way. This wasn't supposed to happen—she had everything perfectly planned out! But now, a wedding without the symbolic exchange of rings would be just as disastrous as Astoria Greengrass's appearance at the engagement party had been. She shook that thought away and internally scolded herself for thinking about the unfortunate events of the engagement party; she and Draco had agreed to forget them.
"You good-for-nothing Slytherin!" Ron shouted. No one bothered to reprimand him because everyone was more or less thinking of something similar. Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott wore identical expressions of frozen shock.
"I never thought I'd have to say this, but Weasley is right for once. Some best mate you are! What in Salazar's name is bloody wrong with you?" Draco grabbed the man, who was supposedly his best friend, by the collar of his expensive dress shirt.
"Nothing. Calm the hell down, Draco." Blaise coolly drawled, completely unfazed.
"Calm the—son of a—you bastard! How do you expect me to just bloody calm down? Without the rings, the wedding can't go on!" Draco exclaimed, shoving the best man away and running a hand through his hair in furious agitation.
Somewhere in the back of her panicking mind, Hermione wondered how Blaise, the forever calm and collected individual, came to befriend Draco, the perfect example of someone with a short temper. She would have voiced these thoughts out loud were it not for the current state of things.
As if sensing her distress, Blaise turned to stare at her. "You're not looking so well, Granger." He stated the obvious.
Draco looked as if he could murder (and succeed this time) and opened his mouth to retort when he was cut off by his bride.
"Quit joking, Blaise." Her tone was icy and clipped, and she appeared to be in control of her emotions when in actuality, she was overwhelmed.
Blaise unexpectedly released a loud sigh of exasperation and reluctantly reached into his jacket once again. "Bloody hell, you lot are no fun at all." He swiftly pulled out a small box.
If looks could kill, Blaise Zabini would have already died a thousand times just under the intense glare from the groom. Hermione audibly sighed in relief, as did everyone else in the audience. Pansy and Theo unfroze.
Draco roughly grabbed the box from Blaise's outstretched hand and opened it. Only to find that one ring was missing. "What—you—Zabini! Where is the other bloody ring?" He cursed, and Hermione paled.
Blaise's eyes twinkled mischievously, and Draco was about ready to burst. "That's because there is no other ring. Look carefully, Draco."
Furrowing his eyebrows in suspicion, Draco brought the box up to eye level and nearly dropped it in surprise. "This isn't mine! Hell, this isn't even the right box!"
"No, it's not." Blaise agreed. "This one is." He drew out another box. (He had many secret pockets in the inner folds of his jacket.)
"This had better be it, Zabini, otherwise you're a dead man. And you know me well—I'm not merciful." Draco darkly threatened as he exchanged boxes with the infuriating man.
"Of course." Blaise simply said.
The groom opened the box and exhaled. "You got lucky this time." He dismissed his friend and turned to his fiancée, smiling ruefully.
"Mr. Zabini and Mr. Malfoy, I am very disappointed in you two. One hundred points from Slytherin each." Professor McGonagall admonished.
Blaise watched incredulously as the hourglass containing emeralds drained. "But, professor—"
"—we're not students anymore!" Draco finished for him. Hermione suddenly understood why there were such good friends, despite their differences.
"Even so, I can still take off points, gentlemen. While here at Hogwarts, all current and former students alike are subject to the ground rules." The Headmistress sniffed and adjusted the spectacles sitting atop the bridge of her nose.
"Professor, why do I get points taken off too? Hermione and I are the victims here!" Draco protested like a school boy.
"Use of crude language in the presence of your elders is not tolerated, Mr. Malfoy. And Mr. Zabini, you clearly lack tactfulness; a wedding is hardly an appropriate event to carry out such an unpleasant joke."
Then, much to everyone's surprise, the best man let out a small chuckle. Some people mistook it for a bad cough; he really needed to work on a laugh that didn't make him sound sick at the same time. But then again, he rarely laughed so perhaps it would be a useless suggestion.
The entire hall was soon enveloped in a fit of contagious hearty laughter. Draco watched his fiancée giggle as she recovered from the false alarm, and he felt himself be taken by the good cheer as well.
"That's Old McGonagall for you!" Ron whispered to Harry, who silently agreed.
"Mr. Weasley, ten points from Gryffindor." Her hearing was as good as always. Ron slouched in his seat, and Harry laughed.
Professor McGonagall's smile waned as she composed herself once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, settle down now. We still have a wedding ceremony to complete."
Draco slipped one of the matching bands out of its crevice, handed the box back to Blaise (while shooting him a warning glare), and took Hermione's left hand in his own. He pulled off the satin glove adorned with lace and immediately caught sight of the Malfoy engagement ring shimmering on her middle finger.
"Mr. Malfoy, place the ring on Ms. Granger's finger and repeat after me: May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love." Professor McGonagall instructed, almost sternly.
Draco slid the ring onto Hermione's ring finger and stared into her big brown eyes that were starting to water as he repeated, "May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing—and undying—love."
Hermione affectionately laughed at Draco's own commentary, and she felt the tears spill over before she could stop them. She was not the only one crying—Ginny's eyes were already beginning to look puffy (which made Draco wonder when she had started to cry), and all the mothers in the audience had tears that were either staining their cheeks or pooling in their eyes.
"Love, you won't be able to see the magic that's happening next through teary eyes." Draco softly teased, reaching up to cup her cheeks and wipe away a few tears.
Hermione placed her hands over his and closed her eyes for a minute. When she opened them once again, Draco gave Professor McGonagall a nod, signaling for her to continue.
"Mr. Malfoy, move the ring that is on Ms. Granger's middle finger to her ring finger."
He obliged, taking a moment to marvel at how right her hand looked with two rings.
"Draw your wand, and perform the sacred binding matrimony spell."
She's never heard of such a spell, Draco smugly noted when he saw Hermione bite her lip in confusion out of the corner of his eye.
"Sollemnium Conligationis."
A whisp of gold emitted from the tip of Draco's wand and swirled around Hermione's ring finger. The bride watched in captivation as the two rings fused into one before her eyes.
The Muggles in the audience gasped, some in admiration and others in fright. Usually, magic was not allowed to be performed in the attendance of Muggles, but the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, made an exception for Hermione and Draco, two of his favorite employees. (Of course, this meant that the Ministry had to temporarily lift the spell that concealed Hogwarts from Muggle world. Arriving at an old ruin with a rusty "Danger, Do Not Enter, Unsafe" sign for a wedding would have given the Muggles quite a shock.)
Hermione's relatives had all been warned beforehand of the magic that would take place at the wedding, but none of them had expected such a spectacle.
Oh, the wonders of magic!
It was a shame that Hermione's younger cousins with mouths hanging wide open would never be able to prove to their friends that magic existed. No one cared whether her relatives shouted to the entire Muggle world about what they were witnessing; they would either be laughed at or rapidly taken to the hospital for an examination. (Worst comes to worst, Obliviate always works out nicely.)
"Oh, Draco!" Hermione breathed, lifting her hand up. She now wore one thick gold band that flaunted its large emerald stone. The engraved words appeared to be clearer than before, and the ring as a whole seemed to sparkle with magic. (Literally.)
"I know, love." He gloated, basking in his own pride.
Hermione could not help but laugh and roll her eyes. "You're incorrigible, dear."
"Now, Ms. Granger, place the ring in Mr. Zabini's possession on Mr. Malfoy's finger and repeat after me: May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love."
Hermione gave Blaise a pointed look as she took the ring from him. Blaise threw his hands up in aggravation. (You try to pull off a harmless prank to make your friends suspicious of you, you succeed, and you're forever placed under scrutiny by everyone! Draco had pulled and still pulled countless pranks, but he was never treated like this! Oh, the unfairness!)
"May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing—and of course undying—love." The bride dutifully slipped the gold band onto the smirking groom's ring finger of his left hand and waited for the next set of instructions from the former Transfiguration professor.
"Ms. Granger, move the ring that is on Mr. Malfoy's middle finger to his ring finger."
Hermione complied. Draco's engagement ring was also a Malfoy heirloom (of course), and like Hermione's, it was gold with words of love and promise etched along its band. However, instead of a prominent gem on top, it had several small emeralds encrusted ornately on its surface. She smiled at the sight of his ring finger bearing two rings.
Then, it hit her. She, Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire, was really getting married to him, Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin and epitome of good looks! She was going to be eternally joined in matrimony with the man she loved! Draco Malfoy, who loved her as well, was going to be her husband! Hermione Granger's husband!
Hermione knew that she was going crazy if she was referring to herself in third person, but at the moment, she could care less. She jubilantly threw her arms around the man before her, pleasantly startling him into almost losing his balance. Amused and bemused, Draco chuckled and returned her passionate embrace.
"Ms. Granger! We're not finished yet!" The surprise Professor McGonagall felt at seeing the audacity her favorite student had just exhibited was evident in her voice. The audience laughed, and there were some whistles.
"I'm sorry, professor." Hermione murmured sheepishly.
"There is nothing to apologize for, Ms. Granger, but let us move on, shall we? Mr. Weasley has been muttering under his breath about his hunger for a while now."
Everyone looked at Ron, who abruptly stopped patting his empty stomach unhappily. "What? It's not a crime to be hungry!" He cried out defensively. Harry nudged him in the ribs. Hermione ignored her best friends and gave Professor McGonagall a nod.
"Ms. Granger, draw your wand and perform the sacred binding matrimony spell."
Hermione licked her lips in anticipation as she hiked up the hem of her wedding gown, much to the chagrin of her mother, who was sitting in the front row next to her father.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Mrs. Granger exclaimed. Her grip on her husband's hand tightened. Mr. Granger coughed to cover up the pain he felt.
"Calm down, mum." Hermione drew out her wand from where it had been strapped to her garter. She smoothed down her gown before lifting her eyes to look at Draco.
He was smirking. "Nice garter, Granger."
"Of course. I did pick it out myself, after all." Hermione said in her know-it-all voice. (Professor McGonagall hid a smile with her hand. This was the Hermione Granger she was familiar with.)
"Slytherin green?" Draco arched an eyebrow.
"I was thinking of you when I got it." She confessed. Ginny squealed in delight from where she was standing.
Disregarding the bouncing ginger and the rest of the world, Draco gave his bride the smile he reserved for her and her only. "How thoughtful of you, love."
Hermione melted. This man was going to be the death of her—just one smile from him could make her heart erratically beat to the point where she thought it would burst. "Anything for you, dear."
His smile widened, and she grinned back before forcing herself to focus on her wand and magic.
"Come on, Granger. Let's see it." He goaded.
A challenge. Hermione Granger loved challenges.
"Sollemnium Conligationis." The spell left her lips for the first and last time.
The Muggles in the audience gasped again, though this time, there were more gasps of admiration than of fright. Draco and Hermione gazed at one another, completely lost in each other's eyes.
"I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may—"
Professor McGonagall was interrupted by the groom, who had suddenly snapped out of his trance. "Professor, I have something to say."
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, by all means." She gestured for him to proceed, her face reflecting the confusion the audience felt. Draco gently took Hermione's hands in his own.
"Hermione Jean Granger," He started seriously, all of his good humor gone, "it was in this very same hall ten years ago when I first took notice of you. We didn't officially meet—if it could be even described as that—until our second year, but I already knew much about you before then. Despite your blood status, I was and still am very intrigued by you. You are everything that I'm not—compassionate, warm, and all things nice. The traits that I lack are found in you. We complete each other, Hermione, and something inside of me knew this as soon as we became fourth years.
"However, I couldn't do what my heart yearned to do. I couldn't just abandon my family values, and in all honesty, I was afraid. I was afraid to be different—to feel even more vulnerable than I already felt. My growing interest in you made me feel weak and helpless, and so I pretended to hate you—a feat that was almost natural, as we had supposedly hated each other for years. But I don't think I ever truly hated you, Hermione. My mind fed me lies, but my heart knew the truth.
"Being a Death Eater under the Dark Lord's order made me realize just how wrong I was to try to hate you. Hate was what brought the Dark Lord to power, but love was what brought his demise. With hate, you may have power, but the real power is with love. Love proved to be even more powerful than the darkest wizard to ever live, and it was an emotion that I possessed but was too afraid to acknowledge. I decided on the eve of the Second Wizarding War that if I lived, I would tell you everything. I no longer wanted to hate, and I wanted the chance to love. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but you granted me that chance after my forced relationship with Astoria Greengrass ended.
"So today, before a crowd of Muggles and witches and wizards and in the place where we first met, I want to properly thank you. You are the reason why we are even here today—together. Thank you for giving me the chance to love you. Our marriage symbolizes the joining of two different families, two different cultures, and two different worlds. Many old and vile Malfoy traditions have been broken, all thanks to you. The Malfoy belief in blood purity was forever buried when the Malfoy heirlooms were magically fused with the Muggle wedding bands.
"Hermione Granger, I was proud to call you my girlfriend and fiancée, but no words can describe how I feel to finally be able to call you my wife. You have shown me the power of true love. You have given me the happiness that I never got to experience as a child. I have loved you for almost eleven years now, and if you let me, I will do everything I can to make-up for the unfortunate past we shared."
By the time Draco had finished his speech, all of the women and a few select men were openly crying. Blaise, Pansy, Theo, and basically everyone else in the audience were utterly speechless. Who knew that Draco Malfoy could be so genuine and honest? Narcissa Malfoy was elegantly dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, and Lucius Malfoy had a guilty expression on his face. He was most likely blaming himself for filling his son's mind with anti-Muggleborn teachings and arranging a relationship between his son and Astoria Greengrass. (That's right. Feel guilty.)
Hermione Granger crying a waterfall was to be expected. (I'd be crying like there's no tomorrow if a guy said all that to me. Especially the loving me for eleven years part. Sigh.) But, Ginny Weasley crying an ocean was rather peculiar. Draco wondered what the youngest Weasley's problem was. Was she just a really emotional person or something? But then again, women were emotional specimen. (Perhaps she was just on the extreme end of the spectrum.)
Much to the shock of Harry and Ron, Professor McGonagall was shedding a few tears herself. It was an oddly disturbing sight.
"Professor, I have something to say as well." Hermione's voice trembled. The Headmistress gave a small nod before taking out her handkerchief.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy," Hermione began as she struggled to speak through tears, "I once believed that I hated you with burning passion. I confess that I first took notice of you in our first year as well, but in my defense, who didn't? You were the blond kid with the huge ego! I found your ego extremely annoying, so I tried to be the one to deflate it—someone would have to sooner or later! With your consistent name-calling and torturous attitude, it felt rather natural to see you as the enemy. With the rise of You-Know-Who, it became even easier to treat you as the enemy. It wasn't until after the war did I realize that I was being hypocritical all these years, as I did and still do have a know-it-all ego myself.
"I was constantly bothered by that fact, and I slowly remembered that I never actually hated you, Draco. Not even when you first called me that word. In fact, it had quite the opposite effect. I remember being more hurt than angry back then because—well, because I had already developed a slight infatuation for you. I didn't know that I had these feelings until our fifth year, but I knew that a relationship wouldn't have been possible, considering you were the enemy. I would be betraying my friends and loyalties if I continued to harbor these forbidden affections. It was then I decided that no one could ever know about them.
"So I hid my real feelings inside the deepest recesses of my heart, and I told myself that it was right to hate you—that it was my duty to hate you. And like you said, my mind fed me lies, but my heart knew the truth. Desperate for a solution, I thought that getting into a relationship would be an effective way to forget my feelings for you. Ron just happened to be available, interested, and the perfect candidate. We were known as the Golden Couple, and I was content enough to slowly move on with my life.
"But, as the whole world already knows, things didn't work out between us as a couple. We were just meant to be friends, and both of us came to accept that fact. Our relationship ended the summer before we returned to this very hall for the year of education we had missed because of the war. I had no idea that you were coming back to finish school as well, so I was shocked beyond disbelief when I saw you sitting in the back of my Muggle Studies class.
"When I heard the rumors about your relationship with Astoria, the feelings that I believed to have disappeared engulfed my mind and body, and they returned stronger than ever. They had just been lying dormant, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make themselves be known again. And once again, I didn't know what to do with them. Forgetting had proved to be impossible.
"And so, I decided that I would just confess to you—get over with the rejection I was so sure about and perhaps finally move on. Mustering up all of my Gryffindor courage, I confronted you in the library—you remember that day, don't you? It was the start of us, even when it didn't seem like it. I nearly fainted when you told me that you felt exactly the same way, but the hope that had resurfaced dwindled when you said that we couldn't be together yet because you had some unfinished business to take care of; you had to first persuade your parents into allowing you to end your relationship with Astoria. You told me to wait for you—those were your exact words—and I did.
"I waited for you, and it was worth the wait. You made and still make me happy, something that I hadn't truly felt in a long time. We forgot about the unfortunate past we shared and the war we fought by making new memories. When your parents found out about us, you threatened to give up everything—your family name, your social status, your inheritance—just to be with me. They have accepted me because of you, so today, I must thank you too—for giving me the chance to love you. You convinced me that all of the years I spent loving you weren't a mistake. Words cannot express how much I love you, Draco Malfoy, but perhaps the fact that I have also loved you for about eleven years now does. You are my everything, and I will do anything for you. I now believe that we were predestined to be together from the start."
Ginny had cried the Pacific Ocean and was now filling up the Atlantic. Blaise was shifting uncomfortably with a frown on his face (because his legs were numb), and he shot strange looks at the redhead every so often.
Draco reached up to touch his cheek, and he was surprised to find it wet. Hermione smiled up at him and placed her hands on top of his. "It's all so ironic, isn't it? To be standing here and declaring our love for one another in the very same place where we first believed we hated each other."
He gave a small chuckle and closed his eyes. "Our relationship is based on irony; a mixture of fate and irony brought us together. But this is just as nostalgic as it is ironic, I would say."
"Hmm, yes. I would have to agree with you." She closed her eyes as well, and he bent down to lean his forehead against hers. (Even in her four-inch heels, she only came up to his nose. Draco found that endearing.)
Like many of the women in the audience, Professor McGonagall had a hand over her heart. She was unbearably happy for her former students. "Mr. Malfoy, you may kiss the bride."
Their lips met, and their tears fell.
There was a flurry of snapping cameras, and the deafening applause ricocheted off the walls of the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"So, Blaise, did you have the other bloody ring with you just to piss me off and make Hermione panic? Well, it worked." Draco grumbled, glaring daggers at the man sitting one seat away. He was still bitter about Blaise's immature prank. (A small part of him was actually secretly pleased that his best mate had the guts to do such a thing in front of hundreds of people. It was undeniable proof that he was a true Slytherin to the bone.)
"Yes and no." The man in question replied bluntly.
Draco arched an eyebrow and leaned back in his seat, gesturing for Blaise to elaborate. It was a command. Blaise took a sip of his champagne as he cast a swift glance at the empty chair across the round table from him.
Pansy, Theo, Harry, and Ron didn't notice, but it didn't go unseen by Draco. He had seen Blaise looking over at Ginny a couple of times during the wedding ceremony. The best man and the maid of honor? Interesting.
"Well, Draco, I should probably tell you that—" Blaise began, only to be cut short by the return of the bride and her best girl friend from the loo.
"Sorry we took so long. We went to the Prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor just for old time's sake." Hermione dropped the arm that she had around Ginny's shoulders and sat down next to her husband.
The groom took in the appearance of his wife. He could tell that her face was carefully composed to mask her true emotions. Something was not right. Draco reached over to squeeze the hand she had in her lap, and she squeezed back, giving him a tiny smile.
"Continue." He turned his attention back to Blaise, who looked unsettled all of a sudden. The youngest Weasley looked as if she had just vomited. (Which she had, but Hermione was the only one who knew.) Very interesting.
Everyone, except for Ginny, watched as the best man stood up, straightened out his suit jacket, and walked around the perimeter of the table, coming to a stop next to the pale girl. Ginny glanced up at him with wide eyes, and Hermione's eyes narrowed. Very interesting indeed.
Blaise elegantly got down onto one knee, and time stopped. An onslaught of various thoughts coursed through Draco's mind. Most of them were along the lines of you have got to be bloody kidding me, and a few were yelling at him to stop his best mate—what in Salazar's name was he thinking? He was about to propose to the maid of honor at his best mate's wedding! Hermione's face was frozen in shock, and it looked identical to the other six faces at the table. Blaise was the only one slightly smiling.
And suddenly, time was moving again. There was a blur of rushing journalists as they scrambled around the wedded couple's table, pushing and shoving one another to get as close to the scene as possible. That got the attention of everyone else at the wedding reception.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?"
"WHAT?" Ron angrily jumped up from his seat, knocking his plate over and spilling Harry's champagne in his fury.
Arthur and Molly Weasley hastily pushed their way through the crowd of reporters, who were relentlessly snapping pictures and scribbling on parchment. Bill, Fleur with the two-year-old Victoire, Charlie, Percy, George, and Angelina immediately followed.
"Ginny?" Blaise sounded uneasy.
Ginny still looked as if she had been hit by Petrificus Totalus. Then, she was out of her stupor and her seat, flinging her arms around the kneeling wizard. "Merlin, Yes! Yes, I will!"
"Ginny, dear, what is the meaning of this?" Mrs. Weasley's voice shook. She didn't look too well, and neither did her husband. In fact, out of all of the Weasleys, only George appeared to be taking the news just fine. He was even smirking.
Ginny took a deep breath before she spoke, her arms still around the man before her. "Mum, Dad, everyone—I'm sorry that you all had to find out this way. I meant to tell you all sooner, but I didn't want to cause anymore chaos with Hermione and Draco's wedding plans already underway. I love this man, Blaise Zabini. We have been seeing each other in secret for almost two years now, and I have grown to care so much for him in this period of time. I wish to spend the rest of my life with him, and I hope you will all approve of us."
Blaise didn't bother to add any input. He simply nodded and stood up.
"But—but, two years! Two years is an awfully short period of time, Ginevra!" Mrs. Weasley sputtered.
"Hermione and Draco only dated for two years before they got engaged." Ginny pointed out.
Hermione bit her lip, and Draco shrugged. "Guilty as charged. Although, we did love each other for eleven years beforehand."
Blaise shot his best mate a cold glare that accused him of siding with the enemy. Draco shrugged again, as if to ask "What enemy?"
"Ginny, your mother and I are not pleased, but we will think about it." Mr. Weasley said firmly.
"That's all I'm asking for, Dad." Ginny's grin faltered. She looked up at Blaise before casting her eyes down to her feet. "There is one other thing I should tell you all…"
Mr. Weasley sighed. "What is it, Ginny?"
"Well…I'm kind of…pregnant." She mumbled as she shuffled her feet nervously. Blaise tightened his hold around her.
Something inside of Draco's mind clicked. Well, that explained her emotional state.
Mrs. Weasley looked as if she would faint at any second, and Mr. Weasley put a shaking arm around her shoulders.
"PREGNANT?" Ron bellowed.
"Calm down, Ronald." Hermione said quietly.
"Calm down? Bloody hell, Hermione! My sister's bloody pregnant!" He screamed.
"Watch it, Weasley." Draco warned, his gray eyes darkening. "I will not idly stand by and watch my wife be shouted at."
Ron's rage momentarily subsided. His face crumpled in defeat. "You're right, Malfoy. Sorry, Hermione."
Hermione smiled in understanding. Draco was just stunned that Weasley had actually listened to him.
"Ginevra Weasley, you are going to explain everything to me when we return to the Burrow. Are we clear?" Mrs. Weasley ordered through clenched teeth.
"Yes, mum." Ginny whispered.
Her mother's face softened as she turned to Blaise. "You're a good boy, Blaise, and I'm glad that our Ginny has fallen in love with you. However, there will be no engagement until everything is crystal clear."
"Of course." Blaise agreed.
"Good. Hermione, dear, we're very sorry about the interruption." Mrs. Weasley earnestly apologized.
"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Weasley. I'm very happy for Ginny." Hermione grinned. Ginny had told her everything when they had gone to the bathroom. The redhead squirmed out of Blaise's hold and threw her arms around her best friend.
A bit astonished, Blaise stood rooted to the spot. Draco smirked at the sudden turn of events and stood up. He clasped his best mate's shoulder, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
"Watch out, Zabini. I'll be sure to make your wedding…eventful."
Okay that was my version of the Dramione wedding. :) I really like the Blaise/Ginny pairing...they're my favorite after Draco/Hermione of course! The sacred binding matrimony spell is something that I made up. I just looked up some Latin words, tweaked them a bit, and threw them together. True story haha.
Sollemnis: solemn, ceremonial, sacred, traditional/customary
Conligationis: bond/connection
I hope that it was satisfying! The final chapter will be the epilogue/perhaps another wedding? ;) ~Claudi Skies