Chapter 13: Shopping for the Perfect Dress

A couple more months passed by and everything was slowly turning back to the norm, Hermione, Harry, and Ron were friends again. Ron finally fully accepted Severus into Hermione's life; he saw what everyone was talking about, that they belonged together. Hermione was doing much better in her classes and so were the boys now that they could all concentrate again. Before they could even register it, it was already May a month away from graduation for the three and the same for Hermione and Severus's wedding. They'd decided on a small ceremony the day after all the students went back to their homes for the summer.

Ginny walked up to Hermione on the 9th and told her it was about time to shop for her dress and insisted that they do it that Hogsmeade weekend, there was a wedding boutique there that Ginny knew of and had passed by a few times. Hermione agreed rather reluctantly, she'd wanted to wait a little longer before looking, she'd never thought of herself as pretty and she didn't think that white really suited her, so she wasn't looking all that forward to searching for the dress. Oh she had something in mind, she had since she was little, but she wasn't looking forward to be told that she looked like a cow in whatever she decided to choose.

They also had to shop for the bridesmaid dresses for Luna, Molly, and Ginny who had enthusiastically agreed to be the maid of honor. She couldn't really say no to the dress shopping when they had all those dresses to search for plus the accessories to go along with them. Molly would meet them at the train station in Hogsmeade Saturday.

For Severus the days passed by slower than ever, he didn't have a best man yet and he had to buy a suit for his wedding eventually it was only about a month away. The ceremony would be small but it was going to be formal as well. He had to look nice; Hermione had taken it upon herself to take care of the wedding plans without help from him. He helped whenever she asked which wasn't often. Apparently she had the Weasley girl helping her. He wasn't really one for romanticism and planning a wedding had never really been on his agenda, he wouldn't have known what to do. He was thankful to the girls for that.

Severus was walking to his rooms on Friday; the week had passed without much incident, when he ran into Potter, almost literally. "Oh hello Professor didn't see you there, I'm sorry, I'll, uh, just be on my way then…" Harry said turning to continue on his way back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Wait Potter, I have a need to ask you something." Snape said stopping the young man in his tracks and making him turn to face the stern professor. Potter raised his eyebrow questioningly. Severus took a deep breath before he continued. "I haven't found a suitable best man as of yet, or any other groom's men for that matter, and I was wondering, since you are, that is, my bride-to-be's best friend might you do me the honor and favor of standing at the altar with me as my best man?"

Harry stared at his potions master in shock for a second before shaking his head slightly and returning his attention to the older man. "Uh sure Professor, I can do that, no worries."

Severus smiled and nodded his head to Harry before turning and walking on towards his chambers, as Harry did much the same towards the Gryffindor tower. He'd let Snape tell Hermione about his part in the wedding himself, or just let her be surprised when the day came. Of course keeping in mind that he was doing this for his friend and not his surly Potions Professor, just for Hermione, she deserved a perfect wedding!

As Saturday morning arrived Hermione grudgingly got out of bed and dressed for the day of shopping ahead of her, a frown adorning her face as she made her way down to breakfast. Hermione didn't particularly like to shop, at all, especially not with other girls, they were always so critical.

At 10 Hermione, Ginny, and Luna met Molly at the station and slowly made their way to the Modern Witch Wedding Boutique on the other side of the little town. Hermione noticed the male equivalent right across the street from them and she found herself wondering if Severus would be there today.

The girls walked into the store and suddenly found themselves accosted by the matron of the store, an elderly witch of about 70 or so. "How may I help you ladies today?" the woman looked to Hermione and her eyes flew wide for a second. "Oh dear you must be the bride, oh we'll start with you, yes of course we must, now let's see I believe you're marrying Severus Snape. Now what is it you'd like Miss Ganger, we have a very wide selection, to be sure."

Hermione looked at the woman before giving her answer. "I'd like a white dress, of course, off the shoulder, slightly low cut, intricate beaded neck, semi-old fashioned you know, long train, tight bodice, but a wide flare beginning at the waist."

"We have just what you're looking for, flew it in from France yesterday, what's your size dear, I'm guessing about a three maybe four. Am I close love come on, come on quick answers now!"

"I'm a three you were right, can I please see the dress?" Hermione said shocked by the energy of the matron who was now dragging her to the dressing rooms with her bride's maids following swiftly behind the pair.

"Ah here it is go change we'll wait out here for you, hurry now hurry!" the woman said summoning a dress from the back room and ushering Hermione into the fitting room on the left of a triple mirror. "Oh I have a feeling she's going to look just lovely in that dress, oh she was built for it all right!"

The others just stood there nodding only to get the woman to shut up, sure they were excited but none of them had that much energy. Though they did suppose she was used to this sort of thing and really loved her job so they went with it and waited for Hermione to finish so they could give her their own thoughts.

As Hermione stepped out to face everyone she waited for the insults. When none came the girl lifted her head and came face to face with 4 rather awestruck females, she turned to look at herself in the mirrors and found herself having the same reactions that the others were, the dress was breathtaking, she actually looked decent in it if that were even possible normally white made her look sick and sallow, but this dress seemed to make her glow.

Ginny felt that there weren't words wonderful enough to express the vision Hermione was in that dress, she was radiating beauty in waves right now that could be felt no doubt for miles. She thought Snape may have a heart attack when he saw her in this. It was amazing.

"Oh dear me you look magnificent in that, doesn't she girls." The matron said having toned down a bit due to the sight in front of her. Hermione really was a vision. The others nodded in agreement, not being able to speak yet.

Hermione looked toward the matron and asked for the price before saying that she'd take it, it was perfect.

"Okay and what would you like for the bride's maids dear? Pink I imagine, everyone always wants pink for their maids, I'll never understand it but it's always pink, either that or purple, so what'll it be?" the matron said ringing up the dress and telling Hermione that they'd have it delivered to her by the end of the evening straight to her room at the school.

"Actually I would like for them to have green dresses, a nice forest green colour accented with gold and silver beading about the arms and the neck, again off the shoulder, fitted bodices and loose from the waist down, floor length would be nice." She said again. As they found what they were looking for and acquired all of their purchases from dresses to shoes, the women decided they had better get some lunch they'd just spent the better part of 2 and a half hours in the store and they were starving.

As the group walked to the Three Broomsticks they ran into the groom who was apparently on his way to meet his best man for some shopping of their own. Hermione gave Severus a quick kiss and told him to have fun before catching up with the girls. All in all she had to say that the day went rather well, for shopping that is.

A/N: Oh she found the perfect dress, she has the perfect groom, how could anything be wrong with this, exactly it can't be, and it will stay that way! Not much more to go now, one more chapter before the wedding, do you want a full wedding chapter or just a part of it tell me now or you may just get no wedding at all. Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me through all of this and reviewed, I couldn't possibly tell you how much it means to me. Now i must ask you to again Click the pretty review button below and give me love or hate. Until next time.

Love, Vamps.