I'm back. Really sorry that it's been so long since I've updated this story. I have been getting back into this story over the last couple of weeks.

I have a small backlog of chapters to upload while I finish the rest of this story.

After all these years I still care about this story - as well as Remus and Hermione. I can't stand the thought of leaving the story unfinished. Plus there are other projects that I want to start!

All characters belong to JK Rowling.

Shall we begin...

Hermione and Remus continued in their new, happy little existence and rarely thought about anything except each other. Ron and Hermione's friends wondered why she had suddenly withdrawn from her usual social activities and she feigned stress and exhaustion from a heavy workload she claimed to have. Hermione's reputation as a hard worker meant that they believed her without question, although Ron was less accepting of it. He nagged her to go out with him but she told him that between work and wedding planning (which she hadn't actually thought about in days) she was simply too busy.

Her and Ron's wedding was something she had yet to discuss with Remus. The knowledge of it was present in the background of their conversations but they both chose to pretend that it didn't exist. It was an odd situation and Hermione felt guilty about spending so much time with Remus, a man she had been in love with for years (and continued to be in love with) while her wedding with Ron fast approached, but her time with Remus had become a haven where she didn't have to think about it.

It had been nearly two weeks since Remus had returned he and Hermione had grown ever closer. She was planning a simple weekend with him in her apartment but she suddenly remembered, with disappointment, that she was supposed to go dress shopping with Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Luna. She knew that it was time she broached the subject with Remus, and mentioning her wedding-related appointment provided the opportunity.

'Oh, I should tell you,' Hermione said as they were sitting together on the sofa before Hermione went to work on Friday morning. 'Tomorrow I have to go and look at wedding dresses in Diagon Alley.'

He nodded. 'That's fine,' he said, his voice neutral. 'I'll be okay in the apartment.'

'I'm sorry,' she said. 'You know I'd much rather be here with you. I'm finding all this wedding planning rather tiresome.'

He smiled. 'I know.'

They were quiet for a moment. The subject of Hermione's wedding had been raised and they both waited for the other to talk about it.

'You know, I watched him propose to you,' Remus said quietly.

She raised her eyebrows at him. 'It came as no surprise to me. Ron… wants it all, the perfect life. He's got the dream career, he's got fame and fortune and many, many devoted friends and fans. And now he wants a little wife who can sit at home and wash his Quidditch robes and cook his dinner.' She tried not to sound bitter.

'Well,' said Remus awkwardly, 'it's natural to want to get married when you get to a certain stage in your life. It's not a bad thing, although I can't see you being satisfied with the 'dutiful housewife role'.' He smiled at her.

She smiled back and shook her head. 'I'm sorry,' she said again and Remus realised what she meant without her having to explain it.

'Don't be,' he murmured, putting his arm around her and drawing her closer.

'I love you, Remus,' she said. 'And all these years, I never stopped loving you but you were gone. And you left me all alone. I don't feel as lonely when I'm with Ron. And-'

'Stop, Hermione,' he said soothingly. 'You don't have to justify it to me. I understand completely.' He paused for a moment, a sincere expression on his face. 'You should marry Ron.'

'But-' Hermione began but Remus interrupted her again.

'Ron loves you and he can give you a good life,' he said calmly. 'What do I have to offer? I'm a shadow of my former self. And who was my former self? A werewolf. That's no kind of husband any woman should want. Ron's a good man.'

Hermione's heart battled against the logic of what Remus was saying. 'But he's not you,' she said quietly.

Remus looked at her helplessly, seeming not to know what else to say. He just cuddled her closer in an attempt to comfort her.

'I'll see you later, then,' Hermione said after she had gotten ready for her Saturday morning outing. She knew that she sounded less than enthusiastic.

'Try not to have too much fun,' Remus said with a smile and a slight hint of laughter in his voice.

Hermione frowned at him. 'I'll try not to… but you know that girls can't help going into a frenzy as soon as they begin wedding dress shopping. How will I ever keep level-headed?' She raised an eyebrow at him sarcastically and then waved goodbye as she left her apartment.

'Hermione, dear, there you are,' said Mrs Weasley slightly impatiently as Hermione apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

Hermione checked her watch, thinking that she was late but she was actually completely punctual. Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Luna had obviously gotten there early. Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Hello, Mrs Weasley,' Hermione said, trying to inject as much enthusiasm as she could into her voice. 'Ginny, Luna.' She nodded to her friends who smiled back at her.

'Shall we get started, then?' Mrs Weasley asked, and then bustled out of the pub and along Diagon Alley without waiting for a reply.

Ginny grinned at Hermione as the three girls followed the older woman.

'Watch out for her today,' Ginny said quietly to Hermione. 'It's like she's been possessed with the spirit of a dead wedding planner.'

'Great,' said Hermione weakly.

'Don't worry,' Luna said, gazing at Ginny dreamily. 'I know a ritual that can cleanse the soul. I can get the spirit to leave your mum's body.'

'It was a joke, Luna,' Ginny said with a laugh. She linked arms with Hermione and steered her quickly through the Saturday morning crowd so that they could catch up with Mrs Weasley. Luna drifted along behind them, happy in her own little world and completely oblivious of reality.

'Are we going to look in Madam Malkin's, Mrs Weasley?' Hermione called.

'Yes, we'll look in there first,' Mrs Weasley called back. 'But there are plenty of other shops that sell bridal gowns as well.' She sounded much too pleased by the prospect.

They all trouped into the familiar establishment and a little bell tinkled above the door to signal their arrival.

'Ah, it's the Weasley-Granger wedding party,' said Madam Malkin, moving out from behind the counter and greeting them all with a bright smile. 'Or at least, the women of the party, anyway. Are you here for your appointment?'

Madam Malkin was looking at Hermione but Mrs Weasley answered for her. 'Yes. Hermione hasn't chosen a dress yet, let alone had her first fitting.'

'When is the wedding?' Malkin asked.

'The end of next month,' Mrs Weasley said.

Malkin raised her eyebrows. 'Then there's no time to lose. This way, Miss Granger, let me show you the bridal section.'

In the Wizarding world, once a couple were engaged, they usually got married very quickly- more quickly than Muggle couples did- but even their engagements usually lasted a little longer than Hermione and Ron's was. Hermione would have liked a longer engagement. She felt safe in the knowledge that she and Ron were engaged because she was half committed to a life with him but she also needed time to come to terms with her future. It was Mrs Weasley who was rushing their wedding. She seemed determined to marry off all of her children as quickly as possible.

'We've got dresses to suit every witch, whatever their size or style,' Malkin continued. She indicated the rails that wedding dresses hung on. Hermione glanced over at Mrs Weasley, whose eyes had lit up but Hermione herself was daunted by how much choice there was.

'What kind of dress were you thinking of?' Malkin asked, watching Hermione expectantly.

'Er…' Hermione said, unusually at a loss for words.

'May I?' Malkin asked, taking out her wand and conjuring her tape measure. Hermione nodded and Malkin began taking her measurements. 'These won't be accurate yet because I'm measuring you through your clothes, but once you've chosen your dress I can tailor it to your size properly.'

The tape measured Hermione's height, waist, hips and bust and she waited patiently- and slightly nervously- for Malkin's professional opinion.

'Well,' the kindly yet glamorous witch began. 'You're quite short so you won't want anything that's too long.' She took a dress from the rail. 'Your shoulders are scrawny so you wouldn't suit a one-shoulder design.' She took another two dresses. 'You haven't got much of a bust, but we can work around that.' She selected another four or five dresses (Hermione noted unenthusiastically) and began carrying them towards the dressing room.

'I think all of these dresses would suit you perfectly but try them on anyway. The mirror is enchanted to show you a vision of your wedding when you're wearing a particular dress,' the witch explained.

'I want to see you in every dress,' Mrs Weasley said eagerly, pushing Hermione towards the dressing room.

Hermione nodded and then drew the privacy curtain as Mrs Weasley starting questioning Madam Malkin on outfits for older witches. She heard Ginny ask Luna if she wanted to go and look at the bridesmaids dresses while they waited. Hermione sighed and glanced at the dresses hanging on a hook on the wall of the dressing room. She reluctantly began changing into the first one, gazing into the mirror and waiting for it to show her a vision.

For a few moments, the mirror only reflected Hermione, standing in a ridiculously extravagant dress and looking rather foolish but then the surface of the mirror started to become very misty. Hermione waited, curious to see what her wedding would look like, despite her misgivings.

Slowly the mist cleared and she saw that it was now displaying the scene of a wedding. The chapel was decorated in the eye-watering orange shade of the Chudley Cannons. The ribbons that were draped over the pews were orange. The flowers were orange. Even the narrow carpet of the aisle was orange. It looked very tacky, Hermione thought.

The pews on either side of the aisle were filled with people, although the groom's side was rather more crowded than the bride's. Ron's considerable extended family were in attendance as well as the rest of the Chudley Cannons and their families, whereas Hermione's guests consisted of a few cousins, work colleagues and old Hogwarts friends including Harry, Neville, Luna and the majority of Dumbledore's Army. The guests were all watching the front of the church, where the bride and groom were exchanging vows.

Hermione did a double take as she looked at vision-Ron. He was grinning down at her as he held one of her hands in both of his. He would have looked quite sweet if it wasn't for the fact that he was wearing an orange waistcoat that clashed horribly with his hair. What made it worse was the blush that was creeping over his face as he spoke his vows. He looked awful and, quite frankly, Hermione would be embarrassed to be seen with him looking like that.

Lastly Hermione appraised her own appearance and her heart sank. She looked good. Her hair and makeup were immaculate and her dress was spectacular. She looked exactly the way Ron liked her to look but it just wasn't her. Her hair was just too fussy all piled up like she had a Niffler perched on top of her head and, she noted with a shudder, it was tied with more orange ribbons. The bodice of the dress was far too revealing and the skirt was so large it looked like it would be a health hazard. No, Hermione didn't like any of it, her appearance, Ron's appearance or the wedding itself.

'How are you getting on, dear?' Mrs Weasley asked from the other side of the curtain. 'Can I take a look?'

'… Yes, okay,' Hermione said reluctantly.

The curtain was pulled back to reveal Mrs Weasley and Ginny who both beamed as soon as they saw Hermione.

'Oh you look lovely!' Mrs Weasley exclaimed. 'Doesn't she Ginny?'

Ginny nodded. 'That dress looks fantastic, 'Mione.' Hermione gave her friend an odd look but nobody seemed to notice.

Mrs Weasley was peering around Hermione at the mirror, which still showed the wedding-vision.

'Oh and look at Ron!' Mrs Weasley gushed. 'He's so handsome. Orange really suits him.'

Hermione glanced back at vision-Ron and cringed. Mrs Weasley obviously had no taste whatsoever and had proved so over the years as she kept knitting Ron orange jumpers for Christmas.

Mrs Weasley stood for a moment, enthralled by the wedding and then she turned back to Hermione.

'Well, dear, I think we've found the dress,' she said. 'Try the other ones on just in case but I really think this is the one.'

For the next hour, Hermione tried on the rest of the dresses. She was dismayed because each dress was as unsuitable as the last. Some were too revealing, some were much too long for her short stature, some had a bodice that was too tight or a skirt that was too wide. Mrs Weasley loved each and every dress but Hermione hated them all. She began to wonder if she'd ever find one she was happy with.

By the time Hermione got to the last dress she was tired and too hot. She slipped the last dress on without really thinking about it and then she wearily turned to look at her reflection. Her eyes widened in surprise. The dress was perfect. It was slender and just the right length. The bodice hugged her just tightly enough. The material was cream coloured and the skirt had the slightest gold tint.

She eagerly waited for the mirror to show her a vision of her wedding in this dress and when it did, she was surprised again. This wedding was different to all the others, which had been in a chapel. This one was outside. The guests were seated on cream chairs and fixed onto the back of each one was a large bow made out of gold ribbon. The aisle was marked by two rows that consisted on bunches of gold flowers that looked like clivias. It was beautiful.

The bride and groom were standing under a tree with the minister. Hermione moved closer to the mirror to get a better view and she gasped. The groom, who was holding Hermione's hand and gazing down at her adoringly, wasn't Ron. He was tall and broad shouldered with light brown hair and grey eyes... Remus. And he had never looked more handsome. Hermione completely ignored everything else in the vision and gazed at him.

He was dressed in a very dark blue wedding suit and his tie was gold to match her dress. The glinting sun came between the leaves of the tree they were standing under and highlighted his hair, making it look almost blond in places. His eyes, always so kind and calm, reflected his happiness and they didn't leave her face as he spoke his vows in the deep, gentle rumble that she was used to.

Hermione briefly glanced at her vision-self, who looked so small next to Remus. She also looked as happy as he did. Most of her hair was left loose and wavy although it was far less wild than it usually was. Two pieces of hair had been drawn from the front on either side of her head and were tied back with a ribbon. Her makeup was very subtle, very minimal and altogether she looked natural and pretty. And she also looked content, comfortable and completely at ease.

The vision-couple were now exchanging rings. Remus held her left hand in his and with his right he gently slid the wedding band onto her finger. She did the same for him and they both looked down at their hands.

Remus looked up and gazed into her eyes. He took a step closer to her and pulled her into his arms. Slowly he lowered his head and captured her lips in the sweetest, most loving kiss he had ever given her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and he tightened his around her waist as they continued to kiss.

The real Hermione's heart thumped as she watched the vision. Tears sprang in her eyes as she wished that she could tumble through the surface of the mirror and into the perfect world that it was showing her.

The vision-Hermione and Remus finally broke apart. Hermione looked breathless and a little flushed. Remus smiled down at her again and looked like he was about to say something-

'Hermione, have you put on the last dress yet?' Mrs Weasley's voice called.

Hermione jumped. 'Er... I'm just putting it on now,' she lied.

Hermione gazed worriedly at the mirror which was still showing the vision wedding of her and Remus. Although she didn't truly want it to, she willed it to disappear, fearful that Mrs Weasley would open the curtain at any moment. Letting her soon-to-be mother-in-law see the vision that showed Hermione happily marrying a man that wasn't Ron would be disastrous. But the vision wasn't fading. The bride and groom were now walking back up the aisle, hand-in-hand as the guest stood and watched them.

'Can I come in now?' Mrs Weasley asked.

Hermione, with her heart beating frantically, stood with her back facing the mirror, trying to block as much of it as she could. If Mrs Weasley only glanced at it she might not notice but Hermione couldn't do anything if the older witch wanted a better look.

'Okay,' Hermione said eventually.

Mrs Weasley smiled when she saw Hermione. 'Very nice, dear. It's pretty but it can't beat the first one. Let's see the wedding vision.'

Hermione swallowed nervously and then slowly moved aside. She closed her eyes and waited.

'Oh,' Mrs Weasley said in disappointment. 'It must have played out already. That's a shame.'

Hermione sighed in relief and was about to argue the merits of the dress she was wearing when she was interrupted.

'Have you made a decision yet?' Madam Malkin had returned, Ginny and Luna following in her wake.

Before Hermione could reply, Mrs Weasley reached into the changing room and picked out the first dress Hermione had tried on.

'This one,' Mrs Weasley said.

'Are you sure?' Madam Malkin asked, looking directly at Hermione.

Hermione hesitated, noticing Mrs Weasley and Ginny's happy expressions and then she nodded slowly. 'Yes. That's the one.'

'Okay, Miss Granger,' Madam Malkin said briskly. 'Please put the dress back on and then step onto the stool over there. I need to check the fit and determine what adjustments I need to make.'

An hour later and they were finally finished. Hermione was truly bored of dresses by now and would be quite happy to never have another dress fitting again but Mrs Weasley had booked her another appointment for the following week.

Hermione was relieved when she stepped into the bright afternoon sunshine. As she followed Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Luna up Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron she noticed that she was feeling rather exhausted in both body and mind. She assumed that it was due to a morning of trying on dresses but she hadn't realised just how tiring that could be.

She was quiet in the pub as she ate her lunch but she assured Ginny that it was just because she was tired. Actually she was lost in thoughts of the wedding-vision that she'd seen. Why had the mirror shown her marrying Remus? She was marrying Ron and Hermione was sure that the mirror was charmed by Madam Malkin to show the bride and groom based on photographs of them. Had the mirror somehow absorbed her thoughts and showed her what she most wanted? Was it showing her the future?

As Hermione ate her sandwich she became more and more subdued, a combination of tiredness and confusion. She ignored the drone of Mrs Weasley's conversation as she felt the beginnings of a headache and she found her thoughts drifting to the moment when she would be able to go back to her apartment and her curl up on her sofa with Remus.

I hope you enjoyed reading this :)

Gryffindork11

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