Chapter 3
The Scheming Begins
Ron stared at his fiance, his mouth agape.
"You can't be serious." He said.
Allie grinned.
"Oh, but I am. It's perfect, Ron! It's only a wedding...and this way, it won't look at all suspicious when we keep leaving them to picking out all the details!"
Ron shook his head slowly, but Allie could see that he was coming around.
"I must be mad...but okay, I'm in. What do we do first?"
Allie wrinkled her brow in thought.
"I've got it. We've a floral meeting tomorrow night, right? What better a time than for us to have an inconvienent gathering with my family? Mum, Dad, all the cousins, aunts, uncles, the whole family. It'll be a fantastic ruse, and Mum has been saying that she wants the entire family to meet you before we get married. We'll just drop off a letter with the florist, and they'll end up picking everything out...it'll be perfect."
Ron smiled and kissed Allie's forehead.
"You are unbelievable...using your own wedding as a matchmaking scheme...but I love you for it."
Allie grinned.
"This is going to be fun."
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"Where in the world can they possibly be?" Hermione asked impatiently.
She and Harry had been standing outside the florist's for about a half an hour, with no sign of either Ron or Allie.
"Maybe they're inside?" Harry suggested, and so they entered the shop.
At once, a tall man in a green apron came rushing up to the two.
"Mr. Potter and Miss Granger?" He asked.
"Yes." Hermione said.
"Ah, the bride and groom of the Weasley wedding sent this to me only moments ago with a note saying that it was to be given to you." He said, handing Harry a letter.
Harry took it, completely bewildered, and opened it, reading it aloud for Hermione.
" 'Dear Harry and Hermione,
I'm afraid that Allie and I won't be able to make it to the floral appointment after all. Her mum insisted on having us over TONIGHT to meet the family, and Allie just couldn't say no. However, she wants me to tell you that you two are to pick out the flowers. Don't fret, Hermione, Allie says your tastes are pretty similar and that she's sure whatever you love, she'll love as well. Thanks so much for being understanding about this. What with the wedding only a few months away, things have to get done quickly, and we really appreciate all of your help. Thanks.
Ron
'"
Hermione looked scared.
"I can't pick out her wedding flowers!" she wailed, "I have no idea what she wants!"
Harry looked at her in surprise.
"Surely it can't be that hard." He said, "Just clump a bunch together and you'll be fine!"
Hermione glared at him.
"Of course it's hard! The flowers are nearly the most important thing in the decorations of the wedding!"
Harry stepped back slightly.
"Okay, okay, just...relax...look...Allie said that you're just to pick out whatever it is you like best, and she'll be fine with it, so just...just imagine that it's you...getting married, and that these," Harry gestured to all the flowers, "are for your wedding."
Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Okay," She said softly, "I'm...I'm getting married in June...and...and the gardenias."
Harry looked at her.
"Gardenias?"
She nodded, opening her eyes.
"I love gardenias. They're my favorite flower, and they'll be absolutely beautiful in a June wedding. But...since they're white...I want to make sure there will be some color so...I'm going to use yellow and pink roses as well."
Harry nodded his approval, and a few minutes later, the order had been placed, and they were walking out of the shop.
"So would you like to have a June wedding?" Harry asked, as they walked down the street.
Hermione jumped.
"What?" she said.
"A June wedding. Isn't that what you would want, since your favorite flowers are gardenias, and you said they would look nice in June?"
"Oh." Hermione sighed and relaxed a little, "Yes...they would look beautiful." She said softly.
Harry said nothing, because for some odd reason he was picturing Hermione in a wedding dress with those gardenias in her curls, walking towards him.
"What about you?" Hermione asked, "If you had a preference, what month would you want to be married in?"
Harry frowned.
"I don't think I have a preference, really, but a summer wedding does sound kind of nice."
Hermione nodded, and they walked in silence for a few more moments, getting closer to Hermione's apartment.
"I actually expected you to already be married." Hermione said softly.
Harry looked at her sideways.
"Really? I thought the same of you." Harry said.
Hermione looked surprised.
"Really? What would have given you that idea?"
Harry shrugged.
"I always thought guys would be lining up to date you...I figured it was only a matter of time before you found the one you were going to marry."
They were now at Hermione's doorstep.
"I thought I had." Hermione said softly, and went inside.
Harry stared at the door for a long time before slowly walking home.
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"So how's Operation Wedding going?" Ron asked, as he rummaged in Allie's cabinets for some food.
It was now two months until the wedding.
"Fantastically, I think. Hermione got the flowers she's always wanted, and she basically made up the guest list all by herself...and the invitations as well. Next month is going to be the food tasting and the dresses, and I can't wait."
Ron looked at his scheming fiance.
"And how do you think you're going to trick Hermione into getting her OWN wedding dress?" He asked.
Allie scrunched up her nose.
"It's going to be tricky...but I'll think of something."
Ron laughed.
"Good luck with that. Wait...you aren't going to make Harry go wedding dress shopping with her are you?'
"Yes! It is crucial that they spend as much time together as possible! If they don't admit their feelings before the wedding, it will never work, and all this planning will have gone to waste!"
"Harry's going to be driven out of his bloody mind...and how are you planning of wriggling out of the food tasting?"
Allie shrugged.
"I'm thinking, actually, that it's time we got really drastic...something has to happen that changes everything, something that will make Hermione and Harry never even think twice about why they're picking everything out."
"Like what?" Ron asked warily.
Allie turned to him thoughtfully.
"You wouldn't happen to have any relatives that live far away, would you?" she asked, grinning.
"My Great Auntie Muriel..." Ron said slowly, "but why...?"
Allie grinned even wider.
"Just wait two weeks, Ron, and you'll see..."
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A/N: Ha, it's summer and I'm going to be getting pretty busy this month, but hopefully I can keep this story up, because I'm starting to have LOADS of fun with it.