The Wedding.
Draco,
Sorry to have to send this via floo but things as you know are not safe.
I'm happy to say that at nine in the morning yesterday. Cissa gave birth to a happy healthy baby girl.
to be named, Arrista Charlotte Snape.
Your mother has asked me to tell you, that tough we wish you were here things are far
to difficult for you to get away.
We will come to you, for the wedding.
by the way Cissa and I have decided that You and Hermione would make great Godparents.
we'll see you soon.
Our love to the Halliwells. and to Hermione.
Yours,
S. Snape.
"Hermione! its a girl!"
"Draco what are you talking about, go to sleep!"
exasperated Draco pulled the covers off her body. she was sleeping in one of his silk shirts. and it wasn't what you say pleasant, being frozen to death on a Saturday morning.
"Draco." she said it so his name sounded whiny.
"Hermione i have a sister!"
that woke her up, she sat up straight honey coloured hair falling into her face.
"Say what!"
"Mum had her at nine yesterday morning, only Sev wrote me just now the bastard."
"Oh Draco that's great news what's her name!"
Draco looked into Hermione's eyes. Arrista. Arrista Charlotte Snape, and they want us to be godparents."
Hermione's eyes widened she smiled
Things had been anything but normal in the magical world the passed 2 months.
Lord Voldemort had told his Death Eaters and to send word around that he planned attack the night of the next full moon, a fortnight away.
Two weeks, before the war between Good and Evil took place. Two weeks before they would lose loved ones, and kill enemies.
Wednesday.
"Draco!"
Draco who had been about to leave the classroom to face Cole. "What's up?"
"Could I have a word with you before my next class?" Cole asked.
"Sure." Draco moved to the front of the room. "Everything OK?"
"That's actually what I wanted to ask you." Cole sat down on his desk, and motioned Draco to take a seat in front of him.
"Draco you do realize what it means to marry a Halliwell?" Cole asked. "They are the most powerful good witches, that will ever exist, there is not, will never be and have never been anyone who is stronger than them. You will always be in danger, of demons and warlocks appearing out of no were to try and kill Hermione, and you, even though you love her cant get in the way of her fighting them, it her destiny. Do you understand this? even thou it'll be an attack on your family. your are not the one to defend them." Cole told Draco gravely.
"I understand Cole, it will be hard for me, being who i am but i love Hermione and take her as she is. whatever the danger may be." Draco reassured.
"When I first met Phoebe I had been sent to kill the charmed ones, just like any other demon, but something went wrong and I fell in love with her. But I was a demon and she was a charmed one so thing got bad, I did some bad things when I first started out with Phoebe, Draco. So bad I even ended up being the Source of All Evil. The power, it corrupted me. But Phoebe was enough to make me see the light, make me want to be good, human. I swam oceans, climbed mountains, even at point changed reality to be with her. And I look at you Draco, and I see in your eyes that you would do the same, maybe even a thousand times more for Hermione. Would you?"
"I would. Never doubt that."
"Well..." Cole smiled. "I see I have chosen well."
"Chosen?"
"Yep, Draco there is something I need for you to have. but I'll have to ask you not to use what I give you until the battle, and don't tell Hermione not just yet."
Leo orbed into the common room, and picked up Wyatt from the floor. "Hiya buddy. Where's mommy?"
"There!" Wyatt shouted out joyfully.
Leo looked across the room, at a stack of books on the table. "Piper? Honey are you under there?"
Piper moved two books out of the way so her head was showing. "Hey sweetie."
"How are things going?"
"Well I have now official 2 days to finish up the wedding planing, and move everything into the manor."
Piper had made it her goal to create the perfect wedding for Hermione and Draco. With Piper taking the reigns Hermione focused her free time on perfecting her martial arts, and memorizing spells that could very well save her life.
"The manor?" Leo asked, confused.
"Yeah, well its tradition really, Phoebe was born there, and we were married there, Paige died there, and Prue lived there. So Hermione asked as a special favour, to set up her wedding there."
Leo nodded. "Its a nice idea."
"It is." Piper agreed. "And I have my mother acting as High priestess too."
"Really?"
"Yep, she said, and I quote. Now listen to me Piper, none of that calling in a priest nonsenses, you have a perfectly good high priestess for a mother, if their going to do this their going to do it right, I insist we do it the Halliwell way. Like we always do." Piper rolled her eyes.
Leo laughed. "Its to be expected."
"And Prue?"
"Prue's just gone off to have the finishing touches of her spell." Piper told him.
"Whens she due now?"
"A week from today, Sunday apparently, and well have another healthy Halliwell even if she'll be magically induced."
"Its a perfectly save spell Piper, your mother used it on herself when you and your sisters where born."
"I know i know, I just ... everything seems so rushed, 2 days till Hermione wedding, and a week till Prue's baby, and two weeks till we fight. Feels like old times."
"I know what you mean."
"I just keep thinking, thank god we're already dead. I don't think i could stand having the talk with the elders again."
"Piper, the elders did a good thing for us, they gave us a second chance at life."
"Leo, don't you get it? A second chance at life, and here we are about to go back into war, and maybe lose people that we love. Again." Piper snapped, standing up.
"Piper..."
"No, you know as well as I do Leo, that they screwed up, again. Yea they made us whightlighters, but look what's happening now, Leo, where back were we started! About to watch Hermione go up against the Source of al Fucking evil, alone!" Piper blazed on.
"Piper..."
"Leo, your not even listening to me."
"Piper!" He yelled, startling her. "What?"
"Behind you!" Leo shouted protecting Wyatt.
Piper spun around, a man dressed in black stood by the table she had just been sitting at. "Oh."
The warlock threw a fireball at Piper.
"Piper!"
Piper froze the ball before it reached her, and moved her fingers to make it explode.
"Leo get Wyatt out of here!" Piper yelled.
"Piper..."
"Now!"
Leo orbed away as another fireball missed him by inches.
"Siriusly i have no time for this! Cant you guys just piss off?" Piper yelled.
"Jesus, Piper what are you do-" Phoebe was half way down the stairs in her PJ.
"Making breakfast, what does it look like?" Piper grunted from her position behinde the counter.
as she aimed large explcsions at him. To wich he answered by deflecting her power.
Her power deflected onto her sending her flying back instead.
Piper pulled herself away from the cabinet shed flown into.
"Phoebe Duck!"
Phoebe squirmed and dodged flames that where lunched at her head. "I got him!" Phoebe levitated and kicked the warlock in the stomach sending him reeling backwards.
"God Piper I know him! Its Eames!"
Phoebe said as he deflected her levitation and threw her across the room to her sister.
"A spell would be nice Pheebs." Piper grunted.
"time for Amends,
And a victim's Revenge.
Cloning Power turn Sour.
Power to Change turn to Strange,
I'm rejectin' your Deflection."
The sisters watched as the warlock before them went up in flames, not making a sound leaving behinde nothing but black smoke.
"What the hell, was that!"
"Piper, that was Eames, I made up that spell years ago."
"I remember. And he used to speak to us, trying to get into our heads." Piper recalled.
"But this guy, he didn't say a word. I think he was just a reflection of the warlock we once fought."
"Who could do that?"
"..."
"The Source."
"He's resurrecting the old demons we vanquished years ago." Phoebe stated.
"My god, what are we going out there to face?"
Saturday.
"Hermione."
Hermione woke with a start and looked around the room, her eyes adjusting to the new brightness. She was in the Halliwell manor, in the bedroom that had once belonged to her parents.
She closed her eyes again.
"Hermione!"
Hermione opened her eyes to see Pansy ginning above her, tray in hand.
"What time is it." Hermione whispered.
"Seven on the dot. Just like you asked." Pansy told her.
Hermione sat up in her bed, trying desperately to remember why the hell she had asked to be woken up at this ungodly hour. She looked down at her sheets and saw they were covered with red rose petals. And she remembered.
"Oh I that a smile I see?" Pansy teased.
While Hermione picked up handfuls of petals and threw them over herself giggling.
Hermione giggled, "it certainly is! I'm guilty of smiling and giggling."
Pansy laughed and handed her the tray. "Brides-to-be get breakfast in bed."
"And maids of honer get to share." Hermione told her.
"It's the Bride." Phoebe smiled. Walking in.
"Morning."
"How are you feeling?" She asked giving Hermione and Pansy a glass of orange juice.
"I don't know everything. Nervous, excited, happy, but I can't wait in less than 4 hours I will be walking down the aisle."
Phoebe laughed.
Thirty minuets later Pansy was finishing up Hermione's honey blonde hair, which was done up in an elegant loose French twist held in place by a single white rose.
"Hermione you look lovely." Prue told her, shutting the door behind her. "Phoebe and Piper will be here in a second."
Hermione nodded unable to speak while Pansy was painting her lips pink.
"We're here." Piper announced, happily.
"Tradition calls lady's." Phoebe told them, opening her bag that went with her royal blue halter neckline, dress, it was a shirred bust with decorated rhinestone, and gathered ruffled drape cascading from attached rhinestone pin.
Pansy wore the same dress since both of them were to be Hermione's brides maids.
"Something old." Phoebe handed her a simple gold chain with the Charmed symbol dangling from it.
"It belonged to Melinda Warren." Piper pitched in. "Its yours to pass down now."
"Something New." Pansy handed her a diamond ring, it had a large diamond in the middle and two smaller ones on either side. "From Draco. Your engagement ring."
Hermione gasped, unable to say a word.
"Something blue." Piper said. "I wore this on my wedding day." She placed a blue bead bracelet on her right arm.
"And finally something borrowed. That's this." Prue sowed a silver white ribbon into Hermione's hair, letting it fall onto her back.
"Now the dress, no time to lose!" Piper said.
"So what do you think?" Hermione turned in the mirror and eyed her appearance, with a smile on her face.
phoebe who was messing with her light brown hair turned to look at her daughter
"Oh..."
Hermione's dress was incredible. It was satin, with an A line corset beautifully embroidered in white and pure silver, cap sleeves and an off the shoulder neckline gently flaring from the shoulders down, clinging to her curves, adding the illusion of length because of its chapel train. She looked like a princess.
Phoebe's eyes stared to water, "Oh Hermione."
The rest took this as their cue to leave the to alone, letting them have this mother, daughter chat.
"You like it?" Hermione asked.
"You look amazing, I love it." Phoebe told her; taking her daughter into her arms. "Hermione, I'm so sorry, we missed so much of you life, you have no idea how much I would have loved to see you threw all those moments I missed." Phoebe was crying now. "You've grown up into such a beautiful woman, strong and intelligent, and more powerful that anyone could have ever imagined. You have an amazing future waiting for you. The light of your destiny shining so much brighter that anything we could have hoped for." Phoebe hugged her.
Hermione smiled tearfully. "I wish we had more time. After the war, you'll have to go back, and- and I don't know what I'm going to do without you.
"You'll live, live your life like your supposed to. And your dad and I will be where we're supposed to be, watching over you, always. Plus your a witch, you can summon us at any time, like I used to do with my mum." Phoebe laughed.
Hermione laughed with her. "I'm so glad your here to for this."
"I've got to go check everything with Piper. You good here?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm fine. You go." Hermione reassured her.
Phoebe left and Mione was left alone.
She was watching herself in the full length mirror when it happened. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, spinning around she stared across the room at it, it was mist, but thicker, black, reaching out to her moaning. It took Hermione a moment to realize what it was.
"No, no, not today." She gasped out as it reached for her.
"No. I am light, I am one too strong to fight."
Hermione gasped, she couldn't get the words out, the nexus was consuming her. 'freeze it.'
'it doesn't freeze.' Something reminded her.
'Fight it. Fight it!"
"I-I am light, I am one to -"
'I cant! Its to close." Hermione clutched her neck. Choking on the dark mist.
"You can. You can fight this. Hermione."
"I am light, I am one to strong to fight. R-return to dark where shadows dwell, you c-cannot have this Halliwell. G-Go away and leave my sight and t-take with you this endless night."
The spell was stuttered but effective, the Nexus retried into itself. And Hermione was free to fall onto the floor.
Pansy popped her head round the door. "Hermione? Its time."
"Hermione!" Piper pushed passed Pansy, "What happened?"
The witch rubbed her temples. "The Nexus, it attacked me, I couldn't get the spell out. Then someone... I think... Piper I think Paige helped me." She told her aunt, who watched her completely shocked.
"My god. Should we... do you want to stop the wedding?"
"No! No, we'll talk about it after, Draco's waiting."
"You sure sweetie?"
"Yep, we'll kick demon ass later." Hermione said determinedly.
Piper smiled. Just like Phoebe.
Hermione looked at her aunt an took a deep breath. "Right, lets get hitched." she declared as she left the bedroom.
"OK, I'll go first then Pansy will go, then Phoebe, Cole you bring Hermione down on my signal." Piper told them, before counting to five and walking down the Victorian staircase.
"I'm up! Good luck." Pansy smiled and followed Piper down.
"I love you." Phoebe told Hermione, kissing her on the cheek, and leaving her alone with Cole.
"Love you."
"You ready for this?" Cole asked as he placed Hermione's arm over his, and led her down the stairs.
Hermione looked up at him, "I'll tell you when I know." She answered.
The walked slowly to the foyer which was amazingly decorated thanks to her aunts. She looked up to see the ceiling had been magicked to look like the night sky.
Hermione saw her grandmother appear in a burst of white light at the alter, acting as high priestess as she had done at Pipers wedding.
It was a small party, intimate, just family and close friends. As they drew nearer Hermione registered, Jane and Eric Granger, her foster parents grinning at her. She gave a small wave.
Harry, Ginny and Ron where there in the third row. Ron was grimacing. prat.
Hermione noticed that even the Weasleys and Ted and Andromeda Tonks where there smiling too.
But when they were finally close enough Hermione saw the only face she wanted to see.
She took him in from head to toe, from his expensive Italian shoes and crisp, white shirt. The top buttons were free the black jacket he had one made him look all the more hansom. And his hair was tousled the way she liked it.
"I'm ready." Hermione whispered only loud enough so her father could hear. Cole looked down at her, "I think, that you couldn't have chose better, if we had picked him out for you." He told her.
"Good job."
Hermione beamed. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Cole took Hermione's hand in his own kissed it, and handed her over to Draco.
Draco and Hermione stared at each other for a short moment, before Gram's called their attention.
"We are gathered here today to unite to souls. Do you Draco Malfoy and Hermione Halliwell join us here of your own free will, to acknowledge the eternal bond sheared by of both of you?"
"I do."
Penny looked at Hermione.
"I do."
"You may face each other, and join hands." Penny told them satisfied. "Draco you may recite your vows."
Draco took Hermione hand in his, staring into her eyes, giving her a lopsided smile.
"This summer when we were forced together.
And to say that I fell in love with you at that time, would be a mistake, because now I realize
what a thin line there is between love and hate, and I know now that I crossed it years ago.
You are everything to me. my friend, my lover, my wife, and my soul mate. Everything. You have my heart."
"Hermione?"
"Draco,
here we are surrounded by the people I love the most and I feel so lucky to be your wife.
Before I found you, I wasn't alone, but I wasn't complete either. Something was missing in me that I thought I would never find, but that day, the very first time you touched me, I knew I had found something that would last an eternity. Draco, I was born to love you, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Here before witnesses Draco and Hermione have sown their love for each other." Penny stated tearfully, her voice catching. "With this cord. I bind them to those vows." Penny waved her fingers making the cord wrap around their hands.
"Heart to thee, body to thee, always and forever, so mote it be." Draco and Hermione said together.
"So mote it be." Penny whispered.
"So mote it be." said the Halliwells and guests who understood.
"You may kiss the bride."
Draco pulled Hermione to him, kissing her passionately. While piper and Cole combined their powers to make the ceiling rain gold drops of magic.
They held the wedding party in the manor too. Talking and laughing together, a few hours before the retuned to Hogwarts.
"I would love to live here." Draco told Hermione as he cradled baby Arrista in his arms.
"I know what you mean. It feels like home." Hermione said. "Almost like we belong here."
"Very well said Mrs Malfoy." Draco kissed her.
"Don't let Gram's hear you say that. Its Mrs Hermione Halliwell Malfoy." Hermione remind him, taking the baby from his arms. "Its tradition."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm all for tradition." Draco rolled his eyes.
Hermione giggled. "Such a beautiful baby, she'll have your mothers eyes." Hermione stated, holding Arrista Snape at different angles to see her face. The baby had a porcelain complexion, she was as pale as her brother, but with the traditional black hair that came from the Snape family line.
"Course she is, she's my sister." Draco smirked.
"Big ego you have there love." Hermione told him.
Draco kissed her. "Thats why you love me."
"True, very true."
The two newly weds were interrupted by a pricing scream.
"What the hell?"
They followed the screams to the living room where they found Prue on the floor screaming, and Cissa at her side commanding her to breath.
"What's wrong?" Draco was the first to ask.
"It's the baby, its coming." Leo was the one who answered.
"So soon?" Sirius looked panicked.
"It's mothers spell." Prue breathed.
"You have to get me to Hogwarts. I cant have it here."
"I don't think there's time. Dear." Molly Weasley told her.
"She's right, she cant have it here. Leo!" Cissa called.
Leo ran into the room, saw the sight and visibly paled. "Leo, orb Prue to Hogwarts, please."
Leo nodded. Grabbing hold of Prue's shoulder. And Sirius grabbed on at the last minute.
Giving the rest time to calm down, "She can't go on her own." Piper looked at Phoebe who nodded.
Hermione saw this. "You guys go. She needs her sisters." She told them.
"Hermione are you sure?"
"Of course. You want me to orb you?"
"No Cole can shimmer. Cole?" Phoebe looked to him.
"Lets go." He said.
Phoebe kissed Hermione on the forehead. "I'm sorry about this, sweetie."
"No trouble, it's family."