Dear Readers, in honor of your patience with this story, I have decided to complete it, so here are the next two chapters to finish it up. I hope you all have enjoyed this, and a big thank you to JessiRose85 for this fabulous idea and to my Beta Darklydreaming, your help has been amazing! Please Read and Review!
Chapter 42: Dreams Come True
Finally August was upon the group, which meant, Hermione was finally getting married. She now was in her grandmother's quarters getting ready with her two brides' maids, her maid of honor, her mothers and her grandmother. The four young ladies all had their hair in full undoes of ringlets and baby's breath flowers. All three maids were wearing their deep red dresses that were simple full length dresses with a v neck, spaghetti straps and a simple tie in the back. Each wore matching one inch heels and carried the flower arrangements made up of mostly roses and lilies but had accent greens and baby's breath. Hermione put on her Cinderella full length, strapless, white dress that had a simple matching red ribbon around the waist. She wore white one inch heels; her bouquet was similar to the girls but a bit bigger. Narcissa had applied her makeup while Jane helped confirm that her hair was all in place, Minerva focused her attention on the bride's maids making sure that everything was in its proper place.
Moments before the ceremony was about to begin, the older women left the room to join the groom out in the courtyard where the ceremony was going to be held. Albus came in with her brothers/groomsmen to wish the bride luck, Lucius would meet Hermione just outside of the ceremony to walk her down the aisle, they chatted for a moment about her nerves and then they escorted her down to the ceremony. True to his word, Lucius was there waiting for her, the girls took their places behind Emmeline's twin children, her six year old daughter was her flower girl while her six year old son was the ring bearer. It pulled at Hermione's heart to see the young girl dressed in her deep red dress with her hair done just like her own and the young boy dressed in his miniature cloths similar to Severus'. It hurt to think that they wouldn't know how wonderful their mother was, or that she wasn't here to see her cousin get married.
Lucius noticed his daughter's gaze, it was as if he read her mind, "Hermione, they will know their mother, we have all been working on a pensive for the two of them for their eleventh birthdays, they will know how wonderful their mother was and how much she loved them." She nodded, "now shall we go?"
"Yes." She offered him a smile as he placed the veil over her face; the quiet song played cuing the procession before the bride. As soon as Ginny reached the alter, another song played cueing Hermione's entrance. She smiled when she saw her brothers and Severus standing opposite her own bride's maids. She was hardly even aware of the columns bordering the aisle, each decorated with roses, lilies baby's breath, and Silver and Red Ribbons spiraling down them. All she saw was the man she loved and how happy he looked.
She finally reached the alter, the music stopped and Lucius lifted the veil from her face and kissed her cheek before he took her hand and placed it into Severus' hand. He took his place next to his best friend and glanced over at his crying wife. The Minister began as soon as everyone was set.
"Welcome, today we are gathered to see this man and this woman bind themselves together in eternity. Who gives this woman to this man?"
Lucius stepped forward and said, "Her mothers, her brothers and I do sir."
"Very well, are there any objections to this union?" Hermione took this time to look back at the congregations to see if anyone dared to ruin her happy moment, her eyes skimmed over the audience and rested on Molly and Arthur, both nodded at her and smiled; she was content that everyone was alright with her choice. "Alright, will you both turn to face each other?" Hermione handed her bouquet to Ginny and gave her other hand to Severus. "Will you both please recite your vows?"
Severus went first, "Hermione, when we first met, I never would have imagined falling for you like I did, with that being said I promise to uphold every vow I make today, I promise to be faithful, understanding, patient, loving, tender and to be a good listener. I want to make you as happy as you have made me, I want to wake up every day to see your smile, I want to hear your laugh, and I want you to continue to be my first and last thought every day. I want to be with you through the good and the bad, whether we are rich or poor. I want you to forever have my heart as we live or lives together. I love you Hermione, I will love you without any question as to where we are or what time of day it is." He slipped her ring upon her left finger.
Hermione smiled at him and spoke her vows, "Severus, I give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this day forward; I promise to never hold a grudge, I promise to love, listen, forgive, comfort and understand as any true friend would, I promise to be open and honest with you every day that we live. I want you in my life for all the ways you have described, we have come together in hopes of the other filling the emptiness we both have felt, and I can honestly and lovingly say that I have accomplished that goal. I believe that meeting you was fate, I know that I chose to be your friend, I also know that falling in love with you was out of my control, you complete who I want to be Severus and I promise to love you through any good or any bad that may be thrown our way." She followed his motions placing his ring upon his hand.
"Now that you both have come together and said what you vow to bring into this relationship, do you promise to uphold those vows?"
"I Do," they both said in unison.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." Severus leaned in and caught her lips for a loving kiss. When they parted the minister said, "I know proudly present, Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape!" There was a roar of cheers as the couple left the alter. They joined them all back in the great hall for a feast so delicately prepared for them by her grandparents, they sat together at the head table with the bridal party on either side of them. Ginny and Lucius offered their best wishes to the couple; Lucius went first.
"Well, I don't really know what to say other then congratulations really. Severus, Hermione, you both are very strong people and I am so glad that you found each other, I believe that I can speak for Narcissa, Minerva and Albus when I say that we hope that you both realize that the other loves you with just as much love as you love them. You are both strong, intelligent and quick on your feet. Use your qualities to help strengthen your relationship; it will grow into something so powerful that it will be impossible to burn. Severus, you have been my best friend since we were at school together, I don't know what else I can say other then the fact that I am grateful that you are officially part of our family and I hope that you will take good care of my little girl. Hermione, I want you to help him open up to the rest of us like he opens up to you, he trusts you with all of his heart and I want you to do the honor of protecting his heart with all of your might."
Ginny said, "much as what Mr. Malfoy has said, I hope that you both realize the love in your relationship. I don't want either of you to give up on each other, lean on each other for support, grow with each other, wake each morning and count your blessings and there shall never be a doubt in your mind that you made the right decision today. Severus, I have known you as the cold hearted, dungeon bat for the past, oh I don't know, whenever Bill was in school let's leave it with that." The group laughed, "However, when I look at you as you look at Hermione, I see nothing but love and care in your eyes, I trust you with my best friend's heart, don't break that. Hermione, I have known you for the past seven years and have watched you blossom into this beautifully smart girl, I couldn't ask for someone better to be the one that I viewed as a big sister. Please remember that you always have someone to turn to, and that someone is sitting right next to you. Love and take care of each other for ever and for always."
And of course, Harry and Draco felt obligated to offer their own words of love and encouragement to the couple as well. "Severus, that young lady sitting next to you is first and foremost our sister; we will always take her side first, unless her thought is totally irrational, which never happens. We are promising that we will come after you if you don't take care of her. Hermione, you are our sister and we love you, we are sure that Blaise would say the same thing that we are about to say, we believe that you made a perfect choice in Severus here, he is just the right person for you, make him realize that every chance you get." After every toast, the couple kissed and smiled.
Hermione joined her father on the dance floor a few times; she danced with her friends, her grandfather and Arthur. But mostly she danced with the man that held her heart, she was absolutely happy for the first time in a long time; nothing could make her upset about her choice.