The Trouble With Weddings

A Harry Potter Fan Fiction Story

Chapter 36:

To say that there is only one person in this entire universe that you are meant to be with is simple. You are destined to be with only one soul in this universe until you die. But to know that ,that theory is wrong is even harder to believe. Love isn't as simple as everyone else makes it to be. Its pain, it's suffering, and heart ache. You have to fall before you can find love. There comes a time when some people give up, and others have the strength to find love in the end , and let some one else's soul touch theirs. I felt the pain and suffering that Ginny has been through , and I glad that she was one of those strong enough to find love in the darkest of places, and most un expected as well.

After the ceremony we were to make our way to the Hall that we had all seen during rehearsal at the dance studio. I stood out side of the doors to the church staring straight up into the sky. The wind had picked up and it blew my hair around my face. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them Draco stood in front of me. I smiled.

" What are you doing out here?" He asked looking at me funny.

" I was just thinking" We both started walking down the road. " About Ginny and Blaise, and how they surprised me" He raised his eyebrows.

" Oh yea, how is that?"

" Well before I came here for all of this" I sighed. " I was torn and conflicted, and I no longer believed in love. I mean after what I had been through I doubted everything. I was so hurt that I couldn't see that not everything was just black and white." I laughed nervously. " When I had gotten Ginny's wedding invitation I thought it was a joke ,and it was some rebound gone crazy!" Draco stopped and looked at me with confusion, and I felt a chill up my spine.

" Why would you think that?" He asked staring straight at me.

" I was stuck in my old ways of thinking. The war had long ended and I still saw you all as Death Eaters, and I wanted to believe that Ginny was in as much pain as I was. That I could come here and help her." I couldn't read his expression and that worried me. " It wasn't until I came here that I saw how wrong I was, and how much love they had and how closed off I really was." He just nodded and turned to walk away briskly.

I chased after him. He knew I was following him and he stopped abruptly catching me off guard.

" Is that what you really think?" I couldn't find my words. It felt like my throat was closing up and I knew nothing. He ran his hands anxiously through his blonde locks. " Is that what all of this was too you?"

" What?" I whispered.

" Well you clearly said that you were in as much pain as you thought Ginny, your best friend that you haven't even talked to in years was in. You thought she was rebounding with my best friend?" I said nothing ,but I wanted to as a million thoughts raced through my mind. " I guess I should say Granger you surprised me as well." He laughed, but he wasn't amused but hurt and trying to hide the pain.

" What do you mean?" I asked as he turned away from me again, but then turned back toward me.

" Was it all a lie?" I felt tears fall down the side of my face ,and my chest hurt. " Was all of this so you could get over your precious Ex ,or make him pay or what ever?" I bit my lip and started to sob harder. He had heard enough. He didn't want to hear any more, Before I could answer he apparated out to the reception. I stood there for a few more minutes before letting go. I wanted to run, but apparated as well to the reception. I needed to hold on a little longer for Ginny, then I would leave with out looking back.

I apparated to the door of the reception. There was no sign of any one else. I slowly opened the door, but before I entered I glamoured my face to hide all evidence of what had just went down with Draco and I.

" Hermione!" Ginny ran up to me and grabbed my hand pulling me to the head table. " We have been looking for you! We cant start with out my maid of honor!" I smiled, and tried to hide the pain I was feeling right now. I had to put on a fake persona and get this over with. As soon as we sat down at a table in front of the entire ball room, food appeared in front of everyone, as well as glasses of champagne. I sat there and tried to think, was Draco right, was it all a lie to get over my own pain? I knew what I had felt the past weeks, and it felt real to me. I took a sip of champagne and stood up. I pulled out my wand and cast a spell to project my voice. I smiled and prepared my self for the bridal toast.

" I am Hermione Granger, and Ginny's Best friend." I looked over at Ginny and she and I both smiled. " Gin, you are not just my friend you are my sister, and today I gained another brother!" I laughed and Blaise nodded at me. I looked around nervously and my eyes stopped and stared at Draco for a moment, that is when I realized I wasn't saying anything and I everyone was starting. " I had this whole speech planned, and I was going to say something about love and finding your soul mate, but I'm not going to say that" I think everyone started to get nervous and all eyes stood still as I felt my world stand still as well. I looked over at Ginny and she looked at me concerned. I just nodded at her and smiled reassuring her everything was ok. " I realized that I had wrote that speech before I came here, and I didn't even know what love was, not really. So how could I say anything about your love when I had no idea about it? Then I came here and you two surprised me. Love isn't easy, and it cant be explained in a speech or from some one else. It is pain and suffering. It is beautiful! When you can find love in in the most unlikely places, that is truly beautiful. I know now more than ever that I am happy for the both of you and I welcome you to the family Blaise! I love you both!" I raised my glass " To Mr., and Mrs. Blaise Zabini!" I took a long sip of my champagne, and so did everyone one else. I sat down, and I saw Draco look over at me before he stood up to give his toast. I grabbed my chest and tried to hide what I was feeling.

Draco smiled and looked over at Ginny and Blaise.

" To Ginny and Blaise Zabini; Here is to the future. May your lives be filled with as much happiness as you have now! You two and wonderful people who deserve each other, I love you both!" He raised his glass and we both locked eyes before he sat back down.

The rest of the feast went by slowly and I tried not to look over at him. I mostly kept to my self. I knew the dance was coming, and I would dance with Draco. How could everything be so perfect one minute and then go so wrong the next? I heard the music play, It was time. It was there song, and it danced through the air. It was simply beautiful. I looked over at Draco and he wouldn't look at me just got up and walked to the dance floor. He waited for me holding his hand out for me. It was like I was being drawn to him I got up and grabbed his hand pulling me to the dance floor. I gasped when I felt a spark as his hand touched mine. He put one hand on the small of my back and we flowed with the music. It felt almost natural. I took a deep breath, and wanted to say so much but I couldn't.

" Draco…" I whispered hoping that we could make up and we could talk. That may have been what I had felt be for I came here but now that Draco happened things are different. I could feel the beat of my own heart for the first time in a long time.

" Granger…" I felt my heart sink as he referred back to my sir name again. I was not longer Hermione to him. I wanted to cry ,but held back.

" It wasn't my intention to fall in love with you, but I did, you have to believe that." He stopped dancing and dropped his hands.

" I cant even stand to look at you!" He shouted and ran outside, causing attention to ourselves, but I didn't care. I ran after him as quick as I could before he could get to far.

" DRACO!" I shouted when I ran outside to catch him. It was not dark, and windy blew through the air. He turned sharply around, and I rand toward him.

" What was all of this to you? Huh?" I started to cry.

" What do you want me to say? That when I first came here the last person I expected to ever see again was you. The only reason I came was for Ginny."

" You thought she was crazy or something like Potter, for falling for one of us, and what are we exactly huh Hermione? Death Eaters, Slytherin, evil, or perhaps were just playboys like you seem to think we are?" I sobbed harder.

" I was hurting! I know it was wrong, I was wrong. I saw how wrong I was when I got here. I was wrong about Blaise and I was wrong about you! I never expected to fall in love with some one who once thought I was once vile , toxic, and" I tried to find the word as it forced its way up my throat. " A MUDBLOOD!" Draco came closer to me where he was just inches from my face. I felt my whole body go weak, and I tried to fight the urge to just crash my whole body into him and let go.

" Are you so prejudiced to think that people cant change? I know who I was, and I accepted that, I thought that you could see through all of that to see who I really am?"

" I do see you, I see the good man that you are, and I see that you aren't that person you were, and I know that you were never really that person you were trying to be in the past. That is what I am trying to say. I was blind, and now I see!" I tried to control my breathing.

" Did you mean it?" He asked calmly staring at my lips, as I stared at his.

" I knew it the minute I felt it," I nodded. " I love you!"

He brushed the hair out of my face and stroked my cheek with his hand. I closed my eyes and leaned into his touch.

" You're the only one I ever loved, and now I know why they say that love hurts." He sighed and backed away.

" What does this mean?"

" I need time to think" Before I could say another word he was gone. He apparated into the night. I stood there motionless, locked inside myself, and un able to come back out. It began to pour down rain, and I let the rain hit my face. I stood frozen, my heart slowly breaking again. Soon Ginny came out and saw me out here just standing in the rain.

" Hermione?" He ran over to me, and I snapped out of it and dropped to my knees and started to cry. I was finally able to let out ever emotion I had been feeling lose. Every feeling that I had, had since the day Ron left me. I had been strong way too long and I finally broke. I just hated that I had to ruin Ginny's day by having her see the pieces crumble, but that is what you do for family, and any one truly understood it was her.