A/N: Two quick notes for non-SOTD readers.
1. The nicknames Kingsley mentions were written in an article by Rita Skeeter last summer after Draco and Hermione convinced her to keep their names anonymous.
2. Ron officially found out about Draco and Hermione after reading the article mentioned above. Anonymity doesn't work very well when there's photos. ;-) He disappears for a while and eventually ends up in Romania to see Charlie, which coincidentally is where Draco and Hermione were at the time. He catches them snogging and then drama happened, blah, blah, blah…that's all :-)
It was finally here. The day of Hermione and Draco's wedding. And Hermione could not have been more nervous. She had spent the previous night at Harry and Ginny's since the bride and groom were not supposed to see each other until she was walking down the aisle. Draco had been very unhappy about this Muggle custom, but she was already so on edge that he didn't fight her on it.
"Rise and shine, pretty, pretty bride," said Ginny, climbing onto the guestroom bed and lying down next to her. "Are you ready to become Mrs. Malfoy? Merlin, there's a sentence I never thought I'd be saying."
They both laughed.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"Sophie just called. She's on her way to pick up your parents now. They'll meet us at the venue in an hour," said Ginny, flipping the Muggle cell phone the Thinx employees had given her the day earlier. Everyone in the wedding party had one. Just in case.
"Oh Merlin, this is really happening," said Hermione, smiling widely. "I haven't been this nervous since I took my O.W.L.S. My stomach is literally in knots."
"Leave it to you to compare your wedding day to a bloody school exam," said Ginny, rolling her eyes.
Someone knocked on the door. They both looked up to see Harry standing in the entryway. "Kreacher just popped in and told me I have to go meet Malfoy and the other groomsmen now. So that means I won't see you again until -"
"Showtime!" finished Ginny, rubbing her hands together.
Harry smiled. "Right. Then. So I guess I'll be off." He winked before walking out of the room.
"Oh, shoot!" said Hermione, the moment he was gone. "Ginny, go grab him, will you? I just realized I should send him with my wedding gift for Draco."
"I'm on it!" she said, jumping out of the bed and hurdling down the hallway.
Hermione searched her suitcase until she found the carefully wrapped present and scrolled up note she had written to go with it. She walked out of the room to meet Harry and Ginny, but stopped when she heard them whispering.
"Have you been able to get a hold of Ron yet?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry answered. "He's been completely unreachable all week. He's even been hiding from me at the Ministry, which is pretty damn difficult when you work in the same bloody office."
"I swear, if he misses today I will never forgive him. Draco may have been out of line at his bachelor party but that's no excuse!" she whispered sharply.
"You don't have to convince me, Ginny. I agree with you."
"And this whole thing with Astoria. She is head over heels in love with the git and he's going to completely screw it up because he can't get over the past. What a moron."
"Come on, Ginny. Give the guy a break. It's Malfoy. If when I proposed to you, you had asked for a break and then gone off and fallen in love with Malfoy I'd be pretty pissed too."
"No excuse," she repeated sternly.
Hermione took a deep breath and walked into the room with a fake smile on her face. "Thanks for waiting, Harry," she said, handing him the gift. "He told me I don't get my gift until after the wedding but he needs to open mine before."
"I'm on it," said Harry, holding it carefully. "Any specific time you want him to open it?"
"Right away would be ideal," she said, clearly not getting his jest about her need for control in every situation. "Note first!"
Harry laughed and said, "Yes'm," before heading to the fireplace and Flooing to Draco and Hermione's flat.
As soon as he was gone, Ginny danced over to Hermione and grabbed her hands. "Okay, bride, let's gather all your things and get you off to the library! Wow, I'm really saying a lot of sentences today I never thought would ever come out of my mouth."
Hermione laughed before walking arm-in-arm with her friend to the guest bedroom where all of her bridal gear was waiting.
XXX
Harry was the last of the groomsmen to arrive. Draco was laying spread eagle on the floor, looking a little on edge while Phillip, Seth, and Goyle were sharing a bottle of firewhiskey and sitting cross-legged beside him. The entire flat was devoid of anything but them … and the alcohol.
"Uh, Malfoy … have you been robbed?" asked Harry, looking around at the empty space.
"No. Wedding gift," he said. "You'll see."
"Speaking of wedding gifts."
Harry moved so he was standing over Draco and held out the present Hermione had given him. Draco sat up and took it from him. "Does she have a scheduled time for me to open it?" he joked.
"She said right away would be ideal." He smirked. "Note first!"
"A direct quote, I'm sure," laughed Draco as he unrolled the note.
Dearest Draco,
Can you believe the day is finally here? If someone had told me a year ago that you and I would be getting married I'm pretty sure I would have suggested they check themselves into the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's. Yet, somehow, here we are, and I could not be more excited to become Mrs. Draco Malfoy.
In one short year we have been through so much together. I know I can always count on you, no matter what challenging task life throws at us, whether it be capturing the heartstring of a dragon or becoming husband and wife. You have more than proven yourself to me and I will be honored when this day is over and I will get the luxury of calling you my husband. I love you more than words can describe and I can't wait to take this next step with you.
I hope you like your gift. You have always been so proud of the Malfoy name, but I was hoping today you would carry a little piece of the Granger name with you as well. My dad dug these out of the attic. They belonged to my grandfather, who I am positive would have loved you. Trust me when I say he was nowhere near as mental as my grandmother.
Anyways, I love you and I can't wait to see you in a few short hours! I'll be the girl trying not to trip down the aisle in the long, white dress.
Love always and forever,
Hermione xoxo
Draco laughed to himself as he read and reread his note. When he looked up all of his groomsmen were watching him and smiling. "What the bloody hell are you looking at?"
"A man in love," sang Seth.
Draco rolled his eyes before carefully folding the note and putting it in his pocket. He picked up the present, which he had placed on his lap, and unwrapped it slowly, eventually coming face-to-face with a small jewelry box. When he opened it he stared inside curiously.
"What is it?" asked Phillip, leaning forward and trying to catch a glimpse. The others followed suit.
"A little piece of the Grangers," he answered. "Potter, you were raised by Muggles. What are they?" he asked, holding out the box.
Harry smiled when he saw two gold nubs with the letter 'G' inscribed on them. "Cuff links. Muggle men wear them on the cuffs of their sleeves."
"Oh," said Draco, smiling as he took one out of the box and inspected it thoroughly. "Well, it's a good thing we're wearing Muggle suits then. Somehow I don't think they would quite work on my dress robes."
Pop!
They all looked over to see Kreacher standing by the door. "The pigeons are in the nest."
Draco cocked his head and stared at the house-elf curiously. "Huh?"
"I think he's saying, the women are in their dressing room at the library," said Phillip. "Meaning we can go over now without having to worry about you running into Hermione."
"She's the superstitious one. Not me."
"Be that as it may, you know very well she would not hesitate to kill you if you see her before it's time."
Draco frowned. "But I wanna shag her now," he whined.
"Well, that's too bloody bad," laughed Phillip. "One of the first rules of marriage you are going to need to remember is whatever she wants, she gets. This is her day."
"I'm sorry. I thought this was our day."
"A common misconception." Phillip grinned. "All you have to do is show up."
The wizards all stood up and headed for the fireplace. They had setup several charms around the Quartz Library so only wizards and witches whose names were on a special list could get through. According to Kreacher, several reporters had already tried and would be floating in a sort of limbo area until the wedding and reception were over.
They had given permission for one reporter to cover articles for both The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly per the request of Kingsley. He thought it would be good for the wizarding world to read about the joining of the Pureblood Prince and the Muggle-born Minx. Hermione had almost hexed him when he used that name on her, even though he was obviously joking. He was lucky she remembered he was an authority figure before her wand came out. After that Kingsley had agreed to have them change her name to Muggle-born Maiden. She hated that too, since she was in no way a maiden, but it was better than minx.
Kreacher led them through the library where tons of wizards and witches were already setting up for the festivities. They were guided to the back where several of the private study's had been turned into dressing rooms for the wedding party, the men in the east wing, and the women in the west.
Draco stopped and stared longingly down the hall where he knew Hermione was. A door at the end of it was slightly cracked. He smiled and shouted, "I love you, Hermione Granger!" making all of his groomsmen giggle like schoolgirls.
"Come on, Casanova," said Phillip putting a hand on Draco's shoulder and guiding him to the east. "You'll see her soon enough. And then you can call her Hermione Malfoy."
"That will be delightful," said Draco, letting his large friend lead him in the opposite direction of the girl he loved. If only 'soon enough' could get here a hell of a lot faster.
XXX
Hermione blushed while all of her bridesmaids stood there grinning at her.
"I zink Draco 'as arrived," laughed Sophie as she played with the bride's hair, trying to get it in the perfect style.
"Well, he certainly knows how to make an entrance," said Ginny, peeking out the door and gazing down the hallway. "And they're off." She lingered there a little bit longer. "You know, maybe I'm just saying this because I'm biased, but those are some damn fine behinds. Sexiest. Wedding party. Ever."
Astoria got up from where she was sitting on the floor by Hermione's feet and joined Ginny. "Oh, yeah. Draco's ass is looking pretty good, Hermione. Make sure to give it a bite for us tonight."
"Guys!" shouted Hermione, taking off her shoe and hurling it at them. They laughed before coming back into the room and shutting the door.
Ginny and Astoria had been spending a lot of time together in the past week and had become quite close, mainly because Astoria was staying with Caroline and was constantly looking for an escape from the never-ending battle between her and her on-again, off-again boyfriend. At the current moment they were off, which was why Astoria was allowed to stay there in the first place. But that didn't stop him from coming over every night and picking a fight about one thing or another, normally something insignificant and juvenile.
The door opened again and Hermione's mom poked her head in. "Everyone decent?" she asked. They all nodded. She opened the door wider and stepped inside with her husband and Atticus Quartz behind her. "Mr. Quartz has just given us an exquisite tour of the library."
"Yes, I must hand it to Draco for finding the most perfect place for our little Her-my-my to get married in," smiled Wesley.
Hermione groaned. "Dad, please don't call me that. I'm not a little girl anymore."
"You're still my little girl," he said, bursting into tears.
"Sorry, dear," Emily said to her daughter while going over to comfort her husband. "He's been like this all week."
"I'm sorry," he sniffled. "I just can't believe my baby is getting married!"
"Look who I found!"
They all looked over to see Regina walk into the room, dragging Narcissa by the arm.
"Granny Granger, I didn't know you would be here?" said Ginny with a huge smile on her face.
Regina dropped Narcissa and ran over to hug the redhead. "Oh, it's my favorite clown! How are you Gwenny?"
"Ginny."
"Oh, whatever. My granddaughter didn't want me to come, even lying about getting hitched, but the albino hippie got me in."
"Albino hippie?" asked Ginny.
"That would be my husband," said Narcissa, straightening out her dress.
It was true. Lucius had gone to Kingsley shortly after meeting the Grangers and explained the situation. Hermione only had a small amount of family and it would be a shame if all of them were not there. Since Regina was already a little loopy and a known teller of fabricated stories, the Minister had agreed. Of course, if she, for some reason, decided to be more lucid that day and realized what it was she was witnessing they would have to use a memory erasing charm on her. Hermione still wasn't sure if her grandmother's presence was a blessing or a curse.
Narcissa looked up from her dress and locked eyes with Atticus Quartz. Both of them turned white. "Hello, Atticus. I wasn't aware you would be around."
"It is my library. I thought it only appropriate that I be here to make sure everything runs smoothly."
"Oh, you two know each other?" said Emily, clearly not sensing the animosity.
"Yes, we were in the same year in school," said Narcissa indifferently.
"And in the Herbology club together," added Atticus.
Shortly after Lucius had attacked her last summer, Hermione overheard Narcissa telling Draco a story to try and convince him to leave her. It was about her first boyfriend, a Muggle-born named Ethan who started a Herbology club. She had joined to become close to him. As soon as her father caught wind of their relationship Ethan disappeared. Judging by the looks on their faces now, Hermione would bet good money that Atticus was a friend of Ethan's.
"Well, I suppose I should stop invading girls - I mean women time and leave you all to it," said Wesley with a wink. "Lucius is going to show me a balcony where we can see the crowd outside but they can't see us. Who knew my daughter was such a celebrity?"
Hermione bit her tongue and smiled. She just hoped the crowd outside had more supporters than protestors.
Wesley left the room and Atticus soon followed, saying he wanted to check on the progress of the hall. Narcissa tried to leave too but Regina latched back onto her. "Where the hell are all the booze?" the old woman asked.
"Right here!" said Caroline, running into the room and waving a bottle, clearly already a little drunk.
Hermione fidgeted nervously. Sophie - who was still doing her hair - put a comforting hand on her shoulder, leaned down and whispered, "Relax, 'Ermione. Everyzing ees going to be perfect."
Hermione let out a deep breath and nodded. She sure hoped she was right.
XXX
Draco looked in a mirror and made sure every last hair was perfectly slicked into place while his groomsmen all watched. "I've never seen you look so nervous before, mate," said Phillip with a wide smile on his face.
"Yeah, well, as I recall you were a wreck before your wedding as well."
"Damn straight I was! I was marrying the most beautiful woman in the world. I'm still waiting for the day when Sophie realizes she's too good for me."
"Never gonna happen," said Seth, taking a sip of the firewhiskey he was holding. "She's all about Phillipe," he mocked. "You got damn lucky with that one." All of a sudden, Seth stopped mid-sip and looked around the room. "Merlin dammit! I just realized I'm the only single man in this bloody room! When'd the whole world start pairing off?"
"About ten years ago," said Draco.
A knock came at the door. Harry stood up from the armchair he was sitting in and went to answer it. "Oh, hi!" he said brightly before going into the hallway and shutting the door behind him. He came back a minute later and walked up to Draco. "I have a bit of a favor to ask."
"Go on, Potter," Draco said apathetically.
"Your Aunt Andromeda is outside with her grandson, Teddy." Draco stopped messing with his hair and froze. "Victoire just went over with her mother to get ready with the girls and he wants to hang with the boys. You know, being the ring bearer and all."
Draco blinked. "I've never met my aunt before," he said, looking nervously at the door.
"I know. But you knew she was coming. There's no time like the present."
"I suppose you're right." Draco could not take his eyes off of that damn door. "Go ahead and let them in. Teddy can hang out with the boys - I mean men." The others all cheers'ed to that.
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Malfoy." He went back over to the door and opened it. "Come on in."
A small boy with brown hair walked into the room first, followed by an older woman who looked remarkably like Draco's Aunt Bellatrix. She was carrying a small suit bag. "Thank you so much for doing this, Harry. Teddy was very upset when we told him he was getting ready with the girls."
The little boy looked up at Draco, who tried to smile at him. His hair immediately changed to a platinum blonde.
"Well, would you look at that," said Andromeda, rubbing Teddy's head affectionately while eyeing Draco. "That is the utmost form of flattery. He must like you."
Draco gaped at her for a moment before eventually finding the courage to smile. "Well, I'm honored." He walked over to Teddy, took a knee and held out his hand to the small child. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Teddy. Thank you so much for agreeing to be our ring bearer today. It's a tough job. Are you sure you're up for the task?"
"Yes! My gwama just took me and Vicky to pwactice," he said, shaking Draco's hand very enthusiastically.
"You know, Vicky is very young. I expect you to help her out today in any way you can. Can you do that for me?"
"Of couwse!"
"So did your grandma tell you that you and I are cousins?"
"Uhuh!" he said, smiling. "Fiwst cousins once wemoved!"
"That's very complex for a four-year-old," laughed Draco. He looked up to see his aunt smiling at him.
"Yes, Teddy is very advanced for his age. I can see he is in safe hands," said Andromeda, handing the suit bag to Harry. "I'll see you all later."
She left the room. Draco stood up and followed her out. "Wait," he called as she bustled down the hallway. She turned around and looked surprised to see him there. "I feel like we should properly introduce ourselves," he said when he reached her, holding out his hand. "Draco Malfoy."
She took it and smiled. "Obviously, I know that. Andromeda Tonks. Formerly Black."
Draco smiled back. "And, obviously, I know that. Thank you so much for coming today. It really means a great deal to Hermione."
"She's a sweet girl. I'm not going to punish her for willingly choosing my sister as her mother-in-law. Definitely wouldn't be my choice." She smirked. "She must really love you."
"I like to think so," he said. "I'm sorry we haven't gotten the chance to meet until now."
"It's all right. I understand the world is still easing into its changes. You and Hermione are, of course, invited over whenever you like. Maybe one day your mother will even join you."
"Yeah … maybe," said Draco unconvincingly. "Well, I suppose I should get back."
"Yes, you should. Only another hour before the show starts."
Draco nodded nervously at her before pivoting around and heading back to his dressing room. When he got there Harry was waiting by the door for him. "How'd it go?" he asked.
"Not horribly," said Draco, heading over to the alcohol.
Teddy watched him closely as he poured his drink. "Can I have some?" the little boy asked.
Draco waved his wand over the drink and transfigured it into pumpkin juice before handing it to Teddy. Then he poured himself the real stuff. "Cheers, mate," he said, clanking glasses with the kid.
"Cheews!" Teddy giggled and watched closely as Draco took a sip of his drink, making sure to mimic his every move.
XXX
Draco, his groomsmen, and the ring bearer were ready long before they had to be. They all sat around the room, talking about nothing of particular importance, since the conversation now had to remain kid friendly. Teddy had made himself comfortable on Draco's knee. He was clearly an instant fan of the wizard and asked to have his hair slicked back in the exact same style.
At one point Teddy decided that Draco needed to smile more so he started tickling him. Draco tickled the kid right back and eventually stood up and started swinging him around until he was squealing with glee.
A knock came at the door and the others, too enthralled with the sight of Draco Malfoy having fun with a child, called for whoever it was to come in rather than get up and let them in themselves. The door opened and all turned to see Ron enter the room.
"Holy fuck," said Draco, stopping mid-swing.
"Language!" shouted Teddy, wagging his finger at him.
"Sorry," he said, putting the kid down on the couch. "What are you doing here, Weasel?"
Ron remained silent as he looked around at all of the angry faces. Even Harry looked upset with him. "It seems no one ever took my name off the list," he finally said after a moment. "Could I talk to you?" He was staring at Draco. "Alone."
The others all looked to Draco, who nodded and motioned for them to leave. They all got up and walked out of the room, all but Harry scowling at Ron as they passed him. None more so than Teddy, who had clearly caught on to the current vibe.
Once they were gone Draco continued to stare at Ron, who was now making a point not to stare back. "Well, are you going to talk?" he asked after a long moment of silence.
"I know my timing's horrible but I just … need you to understand something." He sighed. "Hermione and I … we were friends for a long time before anything ever happened between us. It was a bit of a slow burn, but once we got together I was pretty sure it was going to be forever. I never even started thinking otherwise until she asked for that damn break." He paused to take a deep breath. "And then she kept trying to convince me that that was all it was. A break. And I believed her. Then those articles by that damn Rita Skeeter started showing up and I didn't know what to think. But it wasn't until I saw the two of you in Romania that I finally realized the truth."
Draco crossed his arms and waited for him to go on. He was surprised to discover that he was actually really curious about what had been going on in Ron's mind.
"Until that day I always just figured that if the rumors were true and you really were with her it was just to get to me, but when I caught the two of you together you didn't give me that spiteful look I was expecting. I could tell you were actually …" Ron gulped … "concerned. Because of her. Because of how she would feel."
"And then you made me vomit slugs. Yes, I recall."
"It was childish. I admit it. But you don't know how it felt, seeing the girl I thought I was going to marry snogging the git I always hated. And then to find out it was something real. That's what really hurt."
"Yeah, I get that," said Draco, trying to sound confident even though he definitely wasn't feeling it, "but I thought you said the two of you breaking up was right in the end. If that's true then why haven't you let it go?"
"It's not that simple," said Ron, finally looking up and meeting Draco's gray eyes. "It's just that … you and Hermione … you're just so … disgustingly in love."
Draco smirked.
"It's like she and I never even mattered. I admit, I made mistakes, but was I really such a horrible boyfriend?"
"How the bloody hell should I know?"
"Well, you must know something. You're the one who said I took her for granted."
Draco chuckled. For some reason he found great joy in knowing he got so deeply under Ron's skin. "I probably played that out to be bigger than it actually was. She mentioned something to me once about you never telling her she was beautiful just because, and it only even came up after I asked."
"Oh," said Ron, glancing down while looking visibly disappointed.
Draco eyed the pathetic sight and sighed. He really hated being the good guy, but he knew he had to. For Hermione. "For the record, you did matter."
"I did?" asked Ron, looking up hopefully.
"Of course you did. Why the hell else do you think I hate you so much?"
"Well, I don't really ever recall a time where you actually liked me, so I guess it's hard to compare."
"Be that as it may, if you haven't noticed I've been spending a considerable amount of time with Potter lately. I've accepted that I'm probably going to have to do this for the rest of my life, but I sure as hell don't plan on ever playing chummy with you."
Ron gave him a half-smile. "So I guess that means your promise to be nice to me for the 'rest of your bloody life' if I came today isn't sticking?"
"Yeah, I was pretty drunk when I said that, so you'll have to forgive me for making a bit of an empty promise." Draco winked.
Ron's half-smile grew slightly. "Would you mind if I went and talked to her? I just need to get a few things straightened out. Before I can … you know … move on."
Draco thought about this. He knew sending the girl he was supposed to marry's ex-boyfriend in to see her was a cause for disaster, but, for some reason, he just didn't see Ron as any sort of threat. Plus, it would make her happy to have everything straightened out with him. And, like Phillip said, this was her day.
"Yes, yes, that would be fine," Draco finally said while moving towards the door. "The sooner you get this all 'straightened out', the sooner we can all move on." He put his hand on the doorknob, but stopped before turning it. Looking back at Ron, he added, "I'm not letting you get back with Astoria until you're absolutely sure she's -"
"I'm sure!" Ron said quickly. "I finally told my parents off last night … for how they've been treating her. I love her," he said, looking Draco square in the eye.
Draco stood there motionless.
Ron smirked. "Confident enough for you?"
"I suppose it will do," he answered. "Hermione first. Astoria later. We don't have time for you to patch all your crap up before the wedding starts." Draco finally opened the door and peeked into the hallway. He saw his groomsmen and Teddy standing near the end of it. "Potter!" he called. Harry turned and walked over. "Take Weasel here to see Hermione, will you? And make it snappy."
"You're the boss," said Harry.
"I'm glad to see you're finally getting it," he said, smirking.
Harry rolled his eyes. They had only taken a few steps before Draco called, "Oh, Weasel!" Ron turned to see Draco's smile quickly transform into a fierce scowl. "If you try anything in there, and I mean anything, I will not hesitate to kill you."
"Noted," said Ron before turning back to Harry and letting him lead them down their current hallway and into the one where the girls were getting ready. Giggles could be heard on the other side of the door. He knocked. A second later Ginny answered. She smiled until she saw who was standing behind him. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"That seems to be the common reaction," said Ron. Ginny did no look amused. Ron gulped. "Malfoy … uhh, Draco said I can talk to Hermione."
"I can't believe it. Not even married yet and he's already dictating who I can talk to," they heard Hermione mutter from the other side. "Let him in, Ginny."
Ginny glowered at her brother before opening the door wider. Ron and Harry were met with a room full of women. Hermione's mother was sitting on a sofa, with Narcissa scooted uncomfortably close to her in an attempt to avoid Hermione's grandmother. Fleur was in an armchair and fiddling with Victoire's hair while the small girl sat on her lap, glancing up briefly to stare coldly at her brother-in-law. The girl, Caroline, was sitting on the floor and clearly already drunk while chugging from a bottle of champagne. The bridesmaids were scattered throughout, each of them in slightly different rustic gold dresses with antique green ribbon tied around their waists. Luna was the only one who looked happy to see him. Astoria looked especially mortified. And then, in the dead center of the room was Hermione, already wearing her wedding gown. Her veil was not on yet but Sophie was standing close by with it in her hands. It was obviously their next task.
Hermione tried to smile when she saw him but only ended up sighing. "Could you give us a minute, please?" she asked the room.
Everyone nodded and started heading for the exit. Ginny, Sophie, and Caroline all made a point to knock into him as they walked out while Astoria made a point not to touch him at all. Emily was the only one who smiled and said, "Good to see you, Ronald."
Once they were gone, Harry shut the door, leaving Ron and Hermione alone in the room. They stared at each other uncomfortably for a moment before Hermione finally gave in and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy you're here," she said, trying really hard not to cry so as not to ruin her makeup.
"Yeah, well, I knew I could never forgive myself for not being here for you," he said, hugging her back. "Or, worse, you would never forgive me." They remained in each other's arms for a moment, breathing in the familiar scent of someone very dear. "Hermione, we need to fix this."
"I know," she said into his shoulder. "Tell me what I need to do and I'll do it."
"Not marry Malfoy."
"Merlin, I hope you're joking," she said awkwardly.
Ron pulled away and made the 'sort of' gesture with his hand. "If you wanted to run out of here I wouldn't stop you."
"Well, I don't plan on it, but it's good to know I'd have your support."
They laughed half-heartedly together, which was more than they had done in a long time. "There's nothing you need to do, Hermione. I just … need to know what I did wrong. So I don't keep repeating these same mistakes."
Hermione sighed. "You didn't do anything wrong, Ron. Sometimes people just … aren't meant to be. I had a crush on you for so many years and I just kept trying to hold onto that, even when it became evident that we just weren't compatible. I mean, even after we got together we argued all the time."
"But don't you and Malfoy argue all the time?"
Hermione thought about this. "Well, yes, we do, but it's different. When he and I argue we challenge each other, while you and just sort of had a mutual annoyance. I mean, he annoys me too, but it's not in the same way you annoy me." Hermione stopped and scratched her head. "This really isn't coming out right. Let me try again. When you and I argue we push away from each other, but when he and I argue we pull towards -"
Ron chuckled and put up a hand to stop her. "It's fine. I get it. You argue differently."
"Right," said Hermione. She looked at him and frowned. "I'm sorry I hurt you. That was never my intention. You're one of my three favorite people in the world."
"Still?" he laughed.
Hermione smiled and playfully smacked his arm. "Yes, still. I admit, you're not in the number one slot anymore, but my relationship with Draco will never take away from what we had. We've been through so much together. You and Harry … you're my rocks. I'd be completely lost without you. That's why," hiccup, "it just means so much to me that you're here."
"Don't cry, Hermione. You have to save that for later," he said, putting his fingers under her eyes to keep any tears from falling and smearing her makeup. He took this moment to stare deeply into them. "Did I … take you for granted?" he asked.
"No more than I took you," she answered. A pause. "Astoria really is perfect for you, Ron. Much more than I ever was. And she loves you … more than anything."
"Yeah, I know," said Ron. "And, of course, I managed to screw it up."
"The day's not over yet." She smiled. Another pause. "I feel like you should know that Draco told me about the prophecy."
Ron stared at her wide-eyed. "And were you angry?"
"Damn straight I was!" she said. "But it was really hard to stay that way when he was drunk and crying and so apologetic."
"And … you're still marrying him." It was not a question.
Hermione nodded anyway. "I am. I love him. And if our marriage is really all it takes to ignite a war then so be it. At least we can help make sure the world changes for the better."
"That's the Hermione Granger I know. Always looking for a fight," he laughed, with her joining in. When it stopped he looked at her curiously. "Did he … tell you about the list too?" Leave it to Ron to be the master of inappropriate timing.
Hermione's face became very stiff. She had actually found this so called 'list' in Draco's robes the day after his bachelor party. After much questioning he finally admitted what it was. An incomplete directory of all of his sexual conquests. She burned it before she could get a real good look at it. The only solace she found was that her name had been written across the others in big, bold letters.
"Don't tell me the number," she said sternly. "This is one instance where I would much rather be kept in the dark."
Ron guffawed.
Pop!
They both looked over to see Kreacher appear in the middle of the room. "You're not ready?" he said with big, wide eyes. "Where are the bridesmaids? This wedding starts in ten minutes! I need bridesmaids!"
"Guess that's my cue," said Ron, heading for the door. Before he reached it, he turned around and took a good look at her. "By the way, Hermione, you look beautiful. And I'm not just saying that because this is a special occasion. You always look beautiful."
Ron gave her one last genuine smile before leaving the room. On his way out he passed the bridesmaids, who all began to move back towards the dressing room once they saw him. Before Astoria could disappear with them he pulled her back and whispered, "Could we talk later?"
She avoided looking at him.
"Please?"
Astoria sighed. She glanced sideways at him and nodded before following the others.
Draco was standing with his groomsmen at the entrance to the east wing. He nodded curtly at Ron as walked into the main room. Teddy was on his back and giggling merrily as he swung him around. Narcissa had made her way to this side of the library and was watching the exchange curiously. Emily was standing just beside her and snapping photos of the adorable sight.
"You certainly are good with children, Draco. I'm glad to know any grandchildren of mine will be in good hands."
"And I'm glad to know Sophie and I have a great potential babysitter," laughed Phillip.
Lucius and Wesley suddenly appeared from Merlin knows where, and seemed a little drunk. Both were laughing. "Draco, I never knew you and my daughter were so famous in this 'wizarding world'," said Wesley. "There are thousands of people outside chanting, 'Dramione, Dramione'! Neither of us could figure out what the hell a 'Dramione' is!"
"It's a portmanteau of their names," said Narcissa, inspecting her nails. "They've been using it in the Prophet a lot lately during the countdown to their wedding. Personally, I think it's hideous."
"There was a countdown to our wedding?" Draco asked obliviously.
Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Of course there was a countdown, Draco. Honestly, you and your little bride haven't the faintest clue how much your actions are affecting the world."
"And why is that?" asked Emily, putting down her camera for a moment to look at Draco. "Because Hermione wasn't born from a wizard family like you were?"
"Something like that," Draco said vaguely, hoping to get off the subject.
Teddy was still on his back and had his eyes on Lucius. His hair grew long for a moment but when he looked back at Draco it returned to its shorter, slicked style.
Lucius cocked an eyebrow. "Who's the kid?"
"This is Teddy," said Draco. "He's -"
"Andromeda's grandson," finished Narcissa.
"And a Metamorphmagus," smiled Lucius. "Very impressive."
"Is that what that hair changey thing was?" asked Wesley.
"IT'S STARTING! IT'S STARTING! PLACES EVERYONE!" shouted Kreacher, running through the hallways.
Draco had barely put Teddy down when the house-elf grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the hallway they would be walking down. Soft music started to play as he was tossed onto a golden carpet adorned with rose petals. Everyone turned and looked at him. He smiled nervously before walking down the aisle without making eye contact with anyone.
Kingsley was waiting at the altar when he arrived. As the Minister of Magic he was allowed to perform wedding ceremonies and had agreed to do theirs. Draco knew it was mainly for publicity, but there was still something exciting about saying you were married by such a prominent authority figure.
As his parents walked down the aisle after him, Draco finally took this time to look around. Even though it was a fairly small wedding the room still seemed to be full of people, probably because Grawp was taking up a large amount of space in the back with Hagrid. He smiled brightly and said, "Hi Draky!" rather loudly.
Draco smiled and waved. His mother glanced back at the giant, looking absolutely appalled. That just made this all the more fun.
It was then that Draco's eyes drew to the two people sitting just one row in front of the giant. It was an older couple with bright red hair, unimpressive robes, and unsure expressions on their faces. Arthur and Molly Weasley.
Draco let out a breath of relief when he saw them. He wondered what had made them change their minds; then he remembered Ron had said he talked to them about Astoria. Whatever he told them must have really sunk in. Even if they didn't look especially happy, at least they were here.
His parents were followed shortly by Emily. Once she was in her seat Teddy came down the aisle with a small pillow in one hand and a little girl's hand in the other. She had a basket of flower petals on her arm but wasn't throwing any. Teddy whispered a few encouraging words to her and she stopped, took out a handful and tossed it in front of her. The smile on her face let everyone know that she found this delightful. She was only about halfway down the aisle before the basket was completely empty. Caroline locked eyes with Draco and gave him an 'I told you so' look. He chuckled.
When the kids got down the aisle Victoire went and sat on her mother's lap, but Teddy wanted to stand up front with Draco, who eventually had to physically hand him over to his grandmother, much to the child's disappointment.
Goyle and Astoria were the first couple to walk down the aisle. She kept glancing over at Ron, who was, for some reason, sitting next to Daphne. After them came Seth and Luna, followed by Phillip and Sophie, and finally Harry and Ginny.
Draco's palms began to sweat as the two of them moved closer and closer to him, knowing very well who was coming next.
Once the last bridesmaid and groomsman were in place, the music changed and everyone was asked to rise from their seats. Draco watched nervously as Hermione appeared on the other end of the aisle on her father's arm. His heart skipped a beat.
She was a vision, wearing a long, white dress with lacy sleeves that fell off the shoulders. At first she appeared to be concentrating on her steps, but then she caught sight of him and her feet began to glide effortlessly across the floor. Her hair was parted to the side and slicked back into a low bun, a long veil was pinned to it and flowing along behind her. Her lips were ruby red and her eyes were barely touched. They stared into his intensely as a smile crept onto her face. She could tell by the dopey look he was giving her that she had done well.
The closer she got the harder it became for Draco to control himself. He had never felt so overwhelmed with emotions before. Nervous, excited, terrified, overjoyed. It was all too much and he ended up doing something no one expected. He cried. The moment Hermione saw his tears she did the same, both of them smiling through it until she finally reached the end of the aisle, her father giving her a kiss on the cheek before guiding her hand into Draco's.
"You're beautiful, love," he whispered into her ear as they approached the altar.
"So are you," she whispered back.
As they ceremony began Draco and Hermione could not take their eyes off of each other. They heard nothing but Kingsley as he recited their vows, not even noticing when every single bridesmaid began to whimper. Even the groomsmen could not contain their emotions, though all tried to be manly about it. Grawp blew his nose loudly in the background while even Mrs. Weasley had to take out her handkerchief and wipe a tear.
"I, Hermione Jean Granger, take you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer …" Draco snickered. She rolled her eyes … "in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."
Draco squeezed her hands and could not stop smiling as he recited his own vows. They were each handed their rings, from who they did not know, and slipped them onto each other's fingers.
Her amber eyes remained locked on his silver ones as Kingsley continued to speak, neither registering what he was saying until they heard, "… then I declare you bonded for life."
Draco put his hand behind Hermione's head and pulled her in for their first kiss as husband and wife. He dipped her low over his knee while everyone applauded, a shower of rose petals raining down on them.
Draco lifted her back up and they continued to kiss each other chastely while grinning from ear-to-ear. When they finally turned to face the crowd, Kingsley took this moment to announce, "Ladies and gentleman, it is my privilege to introduce you to for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy!"
A/N: Just a reminder, I'm going on vacation so it'll be a minute before I update again, but I couldn't have picked a better place to leave it at even if it was intentional ;-)