Chapter 21, guys! Enjoy :) I got in to Pottermore guys... but i got sorted into Gryffindor, I'm kinda really angry! I was looking forward to Slytherin, but oh well, I can always just sign up again, in october :)
"Ok…" Blaise said, "So listen I think we should go home, Mom's going to have a cow,"
"Yeah… It's incredibly late!" Hermione seconded him
Half an hour later, everyone decided it was late, and felt it time to go. "Great party, guys!" Seamus called out before leaving
"Yeah totally!" Dean agreed with his friend as he wrapped his arm around Padma.
Everyone went to their own homes, an fell asleep, only to wake up to an eventful day, to the second most awaited marriage in the Wizarding world.
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The next morning Hermione woke up, remembering the dreams she had at night, all of them were about Draco. She remembered she even cried, a bit. She closed her eyes and massaged her head for a bit then went downstairs, to eat breakfast.
"Hermione, dear, you're up early!" Mrs. Zabini said looking up from her book, "Despite how late you two were out last night, anyways, honey, sit down…"
Hermione listened to her mother's ordered and sat down across from her with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in her hands.
"I'm so proud of you and all that you've accomplished… I haven't been the best mother… but I love you, eventhough I've just been reunited with you. I'm sorry I'm marrying you off already, letting you leave your home, to go live with your husband, but that's what women do… Sweetie, I married and came here, and Narcissa did the same, becoming a Malfoy… Us women, have all made sacrifices though, because we want the best for our families. You know that right, Potter's mum, Lily Evans, Narcissa made one for Draco and Lucius; I made one for you… I know you're not happy with this marriage, but sweetheart, you are getting married, and it's your time to start making sacrifices for what's best… Do you understand, honey?" Mrs. Zabini spoke sweetly to her daughter.
"Yes mum… I understand…" Hermione said quietly Sacrifice. As if I haven't already had my share of sacrifices.
"Good… Well, I have this for you…" Mrs. Zabini pulled out a dark blue box, with the apparent Zabini crest on it; she had seen it for the first time today. "Open it…"
Hermione carefully opened the box and found a locket. It had gold chain, with a gold locket, that was bejeweled with small green emeralds. Hermione gasped at the sight of it, it was beautiful.
"It's been in our family for ages; it's given to the daughter of the house, and if there is no daughter then daughter-in-law…"
"Mum it's absolutely stunning!" Hermione put it around her neck, delicately.
"It's given on the marriage, it's meant to be something old…"
"Thank you, mum!" Hermione smiled
"Anyways, it's time for you to start getting ready… The marriage is in approximately five hours… I want you to shower, and scrub yourself clean?"
"Alright," Hermione walked to her room, sitting down for a bit thinking of what her mother said about making sacrifices
"Hey Mione," Blaise walked in
"Blaise," Hermione quickly acknowledged, though she was still concentrated on her thoughts, sitting no her bed, cross legged
"You seem frustrated…"
"I guess… anyways I need to go shower…" Hermione said, "Scrub myself clean!"
"Alright, see you later…" Blaise walked out of the room
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After Hermione's hour long shower, there were about three hours left. She still wasn't able to let go of the sacrifices conversation, it was bothering her, apparently a lot.
Hermione sat in her room, dressing in nothing but a robe. "Mione?" Someone called from outside her door
"Ginny!" Hermione leaped towards the door, "Just the person I needed!"
"Yes I figured, I came earlier, Luna, Padma and Parvati will be here in about an hour," Ginny told her.
"So, shall we see your dress?" Ginny smirked
"Yeah it's in my closet, let me just get it out…" Hermione said pulling it out of the wardrobe
"Oh my…" Ginny said, clearly in awe, "I'm speechless… This dress has left me speechless… Oh my…"
"It's really nice…" Hermione said to herself more than Ginny
"Nice is an understatement sweetheart… Oh my… It's stunning… I can't wait to see you wear it…" Ginny said happily, "Anyways shall we start on your makeup and hair?"
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"Draco, you should start getting ready, we have to be there at least an hour before… We're all going together, right?" Narcissa asked her son
"No mum, actually you go with father… I don't think I'm going to go…" Draco said quietly
"What… I know you aren't happy with the marriage, but you should be there… You guys are still friends!" Narcissa said horrified
"Mum, please, don't make this harder than it already is on me?" Draco pleaded with his mother whose voice was shrill, and could probably be heard throughout the entire house
"What happened, Narcissa?" Lucius called as he came hurrying down the stairs. Yup, Draco was right; his mother's shrill scream could be heard throughout the entire house, since father was on the third floor in the library
"Your son is not in his right mind, at the moment… he's telling me, and he's not going to go to the marriage!" Narcissa said her voice going a pitch higher
"Is that true, Draco?" Lucius asked quietly
"Yes father, I can't go… I don't want to go…" Draco said looking away from his parents
"Well then, he's not going –" Lucius finalized
"But Lucius –"
"Narcissa, he is not going… He doesn't want to go…" Lucius said firmly, "Anyways get ready, we're going to leave in about an hour, alright?" He said before leaving to go to his room
Draco left for his room, leaving his mother slapping her hand to her forehead, in tension.
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Hermione's hair was in a messy, tousled bun on the side of her head. She loved this look. Her makeup was minimal. She had on dark eyeliner, and the lower part of her eyelid was covered with a dark eye shadow. Her lips were coloured a nude colour.
The other girls soon arrived and helped put the last touches on her. Hermione then got into her dress and they recited the something old, something new poem again.
"I already have something old… The Zabini locket and this dress is something new… Something borrowed…" Hermione said
"Oh perfect, I brought you my earring, Hermione… the ones you loved back in my fourth year!" Ginny said pulling them out of her pocket.
"They put the earrings in her ears carefully, and put her veil on her head, not yet covering her face.
Once Hermione was all dressed, she finally looked in the mirror and saw the appearance of an unrecognizable woman. Her gown was simply exquisite. The bodice was a strapless, sweetheart neckline, adorned with magnificent floral embellishments. A row of cream small buttons were running, classically down the back of the bodice and the full-length chapel train. The dress over all was white, and one of the most expensive dresses in the store, she didn't even understand why her mother was wasting so much money on wedding she didn't even care about.
"Oh we forgot something blue!" Luna remembered
"Nope, I have it right here as well! It's the same blue handkerchief that I used," Ginny smiled, "You don't mind, right… using the same thing I used…"
"Ginny, are you seriously asking me that question!" Hermione arched her brow, shaking her head. "You're like my sister… you are my sister!"
Ginny embraced her friend and wrapped the handkerchief around the white and pink roses. The girls started laughing, and they ended with putting a Sixpence in her shoe.
"Oh Ginny, Hermione, you both are so lucky! You've both found amazing husbands!" Parvati smiled
"Thank you, sweetheart!" Ginny smirked, whilst Hermione just nodded, she was still somewhat upset with Cormac about what he said to Luna.
"Girls, it's time for you to wait downstairs for the bride," Mrs. Zabini said walking into Hermione's room. "Oh my, Hermione, you look magnificent!" she breathed. As soon as she conveyed her message to the girls she left the room.
Hermione watched her mother leave her room, without tearing up, without an embrace. She felt upset, but let it all go.
"Well Hermione, we're going to head downstairs and wait, alright?" Luna said starting towards the door
"Mhmm…" Hermione nodded
"You guys go; I'll be down in a minute, okay?" Ginny smiled
As soon as the girls let, the smile on Ginny's face disappeared; she turned towards her friend, looking through her halfhearted smile. "What's wrong?
Hermione told Ginny about the conversation she had with her mum, and the effects it had left, which roamed in her mind and heart. "She told me that she knew I wasn't happy… but I had to make sacrifices… As if I haven't made enough… But then again, why am I moping over making sacrifices when I have no choice but to, because he doesn't love me, he loves Astoria!" Hermione finished, biting back her tears "Ginn all of this is my fault! I can't do this… This was my fault, I told Cormac I was ready, I'm not… but everyone's so happy for me, this marriage I can't help it, I have to go along with it…I'll break Cormac's heart, my parents his parents… I'm just stupid"
"Hermione, listen to me… You're not stupid! You are the most intelligent and beautiful person I have had the pleasure to meet, and befriend! I love you and I want you to do what's right for you… Don't think of anybody else; think about yourself, from your heart… Do what your heart and only your heart says! I'll be waiting downstairs!" Ginny said, firmly, putting her chiffon veil over her eyes.
A minute later, Hermione's father appeared in her doorway. "You look beautiful, sweetheart!" Her father spoke softly
"Thank you, father" She answered back looking down.
Joseph Zabini embraced his daughter and kissed her on the forehead, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.
Joseph wasn't as happy as Mrs. Zabini was to see her daughter get married and be gone to the McLaggen family, but he couldn't argue with her, she would give him no say in the decisions. He personally wanted his daughter to be married into the Malfoy's, but their only son was marrying Astoria Greengrass. He went along with the entire wedding process for his daughter since she agreed to it.
Hermione and her father didn't talk as they started walking towards the aisle. She didn't mention her uneasiness, frustration or her fear. Her parents were happy, and so is everyone else. "But you're not!" Ginny's voice chimed into her mind "Think with your heart, not your mind… I'll be downstairs…"
She was in the ballroom now, walking down the aisle. She saw Ginny who was looking at her closely with sad eyes. She saw Cormac who was smirking at her.
"Oh Lucius, look at her," Narcissa said, close to tears, "She looks beautiful…"
"Yes, she really does look wonderful," Lucius replied quietly, smiling but inside he was disappointed, with his son.
"Our poor Draco… loves her so much" Narcissa whispered
"I told him he could do anything he wanted… yet he refused to come!" Lucius said slowly, upset.
The minister said the prayers and the ceremony begun. Finally the time had come, the acceptance of the marriage and the kiss. "Do you, Cormac Alexander McLaggen, take Hermione Camilla Elizabeth Zabini, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Cormac smirked at the question, holding his head high, "I do,"
"And do you Hermione Camilla Elizabeth Zabini; take Cormac Alexander McLaggen to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Hermione gulped down her fear, taking a deep breath. Her eyes quickly ran through the crowd, looking for Draco, but he was nowhere to be found. Next she found her best friend, looking at her sadly, giving her a sad smile. "I –" she swallowed until she was interrupted .