The wedding had been beautiful. The warm, autumn sky was resplendent with stars as Rose was married to Scorpius just one hour earlier in the garden of Malfoy Manor. That spring, when Rose had told her of their intention to hold the wedding at the Manor, as no other place could hold the necessary number of guests except for the Ministry itself, Hermione had held back her significant reservations about returning to the place where she had been tortured during the war. But she found that the Manor had been completely renovated to remove all likeness to the building in which Voldemort had made his headquarters, and the wedding itself was just beautiful.
As Rose and Scorpius were Bonded, Rose's love shone from her face, while Scorpius looked upon her with such adoration that no one could doubt that they were meant to be together. Hermione thought back to the first time Scorpius had been brought around to meet the family. Rose, Al and Scorpius had all been Sorted into Ravenclaw, much to the unbelief of the Weasley clan. And then, much to the surprise of all of Hogwarts, the three of them formed their own trio and one was never seen without the other two. Eight years earlier, there had been a knock on the Burrow's door during the Weasley Christmas feast, and when Al ran to open it, she noticed Harry and Ron look at each other in horror as they realized it could only mean that Al had invited Scorpius. She laughed aloud at the memory of Rose and Al forming a type of shield around Scorpius, seemingly daring anyone to say anything about Scorpius not belonging. Seems the Ravenclaws had some courage after all, or perhaps it was just the result of a complex calculation that concluded that Gryffindors wouldn't break through a Weasley - Potter shield at a Burrow Christmas Dinner to affront a guest, even if that guest was a Malfoy, QED.
Across the dining hall, Draco watched as Hermione threw her head back and laughed. Merlin, how resplendent she looked in her velvet and satin cinnamon colored robes. Her normally fierce, bushy hair had been tamed into a pile of smooth curls cascading down her back, and the light from the evening sky made her skin glow with warmth. Just as Scorpius and Rose were reminiscent of the sun and moon this evening, Hermione was surely the brightest star in the sky, even outshining his beloved Astoria.
The orchestra started to play and Hermione watched as Scorpius led Rose out for their first dance. She suppressed a giggle as she recalled the previous Ministry Christmas Ball where every eye watched to see how Ron and Draco would react to Rose and Scorpius's engagement while the couple just danced around the hall with eyes only for each other. She thought back to all the times she stepped out of Rose's flue to find Rose and Scorpius animatedly explaining to the other the potions or arithmancy theories in their new magazines while Al just watched on, shaking his head at them. Other times, they would amiably discuss their new spell ideas, each of them improving upon the latest draft the other had proffered.
As the first dance ended, Ron kissed Hermione as he left for his dance with Rose. Hermione watched as Scorpius handed Rose to Ron and then took his mother's hand for their dance as well. She smiled as she watched the two couples when she was suddenly startled to find Draco standing next to her.
Draco held out his hand and asked, "Will you do me the honor of this dance, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione glanced furtively around the room only to notice half of the guests' eyes on her, waiting to see if she would dismiss the former Death Eater without consideration. She instead inclined her chin, gave her most magnificent smile for the crowd to see, placed her hand in his and replied, "With pleasure, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco waltzed her around the room as if she were gliding on air. He closely held her hand and waist and led every move as if it was she who was his usual dance partner. And with every effortless turn and step, she forgot all the guests and lost herself to the fragrance of his cologne and the feel of his arms. Oh, how it might have been different if she had kissed him that night. Perhaps it might have been she who was on his arm at those Ministry Balls. Perhaps it could have been them who had those evenings where they inundated each other with latest potion developments or arithmancy theories they were respectively reading about. Perhaps they would have had heated arguments over new ideas, like those arguments they always had, but then come out stronger and with a better understanding that neither could have formed on his own.
Hermione chanced a glance into Draco's eyes, and they held hers as if Imobliused. His clear grey eyes were open like windows to his soul, just as they had been twenty-nine years earlier. She could see his own yearning, his own musings, his own regrets. As the orchestra finished, Hermione searched to find the words she wanted to speak, but could only stammer, "I … I …" Draco leaned down and tenderly kissed her cheek, conveying everything that they both wanted to say, but for which twenty-nine years later, there were no longer any words.
He released her, spoke a "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," to which she replied a "The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Malfoy," and he turned away to collect his wife and rejoin the reception.
She returned to her table where Ron arrived a second later and offered her a glass of champagne. "So you had to dance with the ferret, huh? Thank Merlin that Hugo isn't involved with Violet Zambini. I think I'd rather drop dead than dance with Pansy."
Hermione turned, brushed away all thoughts of the past and laughed joyfully with Ron. "You'd better hope he doesn't cross paths with Carlotta Goyle. That would be even worse."
With a gleam in his eye, Ron held out his hand to Hermione. "For now, I could do with a dance with the loveliest witch in the room. … Um, well, tied for the loveliest witch, anyway. Can't outshine our Rose today, now can we?"
Hermione beamed at her husband. They danced, laughed and celebrated their daughter and her new husband and collapsed into each others arms when they returned to their cottage late that night.