Chapter 2

I stared back at myself in the mirror as I tried to figure out what was missing. The white wedding dress, matching jewellery, and diamond engagement ring with three large diamonds in the middle with encrusted pearls on the border, staring back at me through my reflection confirmed that technically nothing was physically missing.

I never thought I would ever see myself in a wedding dress even again, but here I was five years after I had been wearing the last one. Last time I'd been in this position it was completely different. I could barely contain my excitement about the wedding that was supposed to happen, and what I looked like was only a small part of that.

I twisted, hearing the knock at the door before it opened. Ginny walked through with a smile on her face, wearing her red bridesmaid's dress and clutching the bundle of roses that she would walk down the aisle with.

"Oh Hermione, you look amazing!" she said closing the door behind her.

"Thanks," I said giving her a small smile.

"Can you believe this is actually happening?" she asked.

"No," I said truthfully but I knew my reasoning was different to hers.

"I mean always knew you would marry my brother, but it all seems like a fairy tale," she said. "It's your happily ever after."

"Yeah. My happily ever after," I repeated feeling uneasy.

"Are you ok?" she said looking worried.

"Yeah I'm fine," I assured her, "Just nervous."

She smiled and rubbed my arm. "It's normal. I was so nervous before I married Harry."

"I guess you're right," I agreed.

"And once you're married to Ron you can just wipe away that whole other chapter of your life. That mistake won't even matter anymore," she said.

"Wipe it away?"

"Your marriage to Draco," she said like it was obvious. "Although it barely lasted a year so referring to it as a 'marriage' is a little strong."

Getting married to Ron was my fresh start, but I wasn't ready to wipe away everything that happened up until now. Marrying Draco was definitely not what I had expected and it didn't end well but that didn't mean it was a mistake. Hearing Ginny refer to it as such made me want to defend our relationship, but I stopped myself at the last second, realising that defending my relationship with another man when I was about to marry her brother didn't seem like the appropriate thing to do.

I heard the violin start playing through the door of the room I was using as a dressing room and Ginny jumped up off the bed.

"Oooh! That's our cue!" she said excitedly. "I'll see you down there."

I nodded, and she kissed me on the cheek before she disappeared from the room.

I walked down the stairs after her at a slower pace, and the music got louder along with the low murmur of the guests.

One by one I watched as the bridesmaid's filtered out, before the realisation that it was my turn hit me.

I picked up my bouquet of roses off the side mantel, and walked around the corner into the hall which was packed with rows of people. In the distance in front of me, I could see Ron standing at the other end with his Harry by his side. I started walking slowly down the red carpet, noticing all the guests around me, with their eyes on myself. The last time I did this I hadn't been able to take my eyes of my soon to be husband standing on the other end, and I couldn't reach the altar soon enough. This time however I found my footsteps slowing down to try and prolong the moment that I would have to be there reciting my vows. The last ti—I needed to stop thinking about the last time.

This is what I was doing. I was about to marry wrong. It was the sensible thing to do. I had gone off instinct and passion last time rather than logic and rationality and look where that got me.

I forced myself to pick up my pace until I reached Ron's side.

He gave me a smile, and took my hand.

"Welcome everyone to the union of Hermione Jean Granger, and Ron Billius Weasley. We're here today to join these two people in marriage," the ministry official began. The rest of his speech blurred into the background as I lost focused.

I heard Ron begin to recite his vows, but I couldn't as panic filled my body. A million thoughts were running through my body. I knew I was doing the right thing but my body was telling me otherwise.

I loved Ron, I did. He was one of my best friends. But I didn't love him as I should, I knew that I just figured that would come in time. It was just nerves, I told myself.

The guests clapped as Ron finished his speech, and Ron squeezed my hand to remind me that the official was speaking to me.

"Please repeat after me," the official said.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger," he said.

"I, Hermione Jean Granger," I said slowly. Hermione Jean Granger. Even though that was the name I was born in, it didn't feel right.

"Vow to join in this marital union with Ron Billius Weasley," the official continued.

"Vow to join in this marital union with Ron Weasley," I said.

"Forever and always," he said.

"Fo—" I stopped mid-sentence, my mind flashing back.

Flashback

" I love you Draco," I whispered, tightening his arms around me, feeling safe being held by him.

"I love to too baby," he said. "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"Me either," I said. "I guess you never thought you'd be saying that to me huh?"

I looked up at him, and smiled thinking of how when we were children we barely got along.

"Actually I always knew you would be mine," he said.

"You did?" I asked surprised.

"I've always felt a connection to you," he said. "I always knew I loved you."

"I never knew that, "I said.

"I always knew I loved you, and I always know I will," he said letting go of me to put something into my hand.

"What's this?" I asked, opening my hand. There in my palm lay a diamond engagement ring. It had a simple medium diamond in the centre, and a thin silver band. Knowing Draco, he would have picked out the most over the top expensive item in the shop, but this ring showed me how well he knew me.

I gasped, seeing it in front of me.

"Look inside," he said, and I turned it over to see the inscription.

As I read the words in front of me, my eyes filled with tears.

"Be mine Hermione," he said, then repeated the words written on the ring, "Forever and always."

End Flashback

"Miss Granger?" the official prompted me, pulling me out of my memories.

"Oh, sorry," I said quickly.

" Forever and always," the official said again, thinking I'd forgotten the words.

I opened my mouth to start speaking but I couldn't repeat those words.

I heard a low murmur in the audience as people began to wonder why I wasn't speaking up. What was wrong with me?

I twisted around to face Ron, to get myself to concentrate on the task at hand, when my eye caught on to someone in the audience.

My eyes instantly locked onto Draco's and I automatically felt the pull I doubted I felt when I looked into Ron's eyes. My body betrayed me as I felt familiar passion run through me. I tried hard to pull my eyes away from Draco's but I couldn't.

My instincts were once again playing their part as I struggled whether to supress them or follow them like I always had. Well like I always had until this point.

"Hermione?" Ron said.

"Forever and…" as soon as I started repeating the words, everyone let out a relieved sigh, except for one person who I watched stand up and walk out the room as soon as I started saying those three little words that held so much significance to the two of us.

If I never chose to turn around and watch him walk away there's the possibility that my life would have ended very differently, but in that moment I did choose to listen to my inner voice and turn around. Watching Draco walk away from me was like the trigger that I needed.

Being with Draco was irresponsible, and senseless and I was opening my heart to potential heartbreak but I knew I couldn't watch him walk away from me.

"Ron…" I whispered.

"It's ok," he said giving me a weak smile.

"I'm sorry," I mouthed before I slipped off my shoes and ran down the aisle.

Everyone spoke out in surprise, and despite the increase in noise Draco didn't stop until I grabbed his arm and spun him around.

"Hermione," he said shocked.

"I want lilies," I said.

"Huh?" he asked confused.

"I want lilies at our wedding," I said, "You're right, I hate roses."

"Done," he said starting to smile.

"And I don't want it anywhere near Valentine 's Day. You were right that is tacky," I said.

"Agreed," he said.

"I want my ring back," I said, hoping he hadn't given it away after I had thrown it at him before our divorce.

I smiled as he pulled it out his jacket pocket, before slipping it onto my finger. Even though it wasn't possible, the ring felt warm on my hand and sent tingles up my arm as it felt like it was in its right place once again.

"You will never leave me," I warned.

"I can't promise I'll never leave," he said, "But I can promise I'll always come back."

He tucked a lose piece of hair behind my ear, and pulled me close.

"I was beginning to lose hope there for a second," he said, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely oblivious to the crowd of people starting at us.

"Why? You were always my happily ever after—you said so yourself," I said winking, before I pulled him down toward me. I could tell you I felt the world shift when we kissed and imaginary fireworks going off all around us, but I don't need to. You already know our kiss was perfect.

The second our lips touched for the first time in four years, I was awarded with confirmation that I was doing the right thing. No matter how tough things got, or however many people told us we were making a mistake, it was ok because we'd get through it together. He was my forever and I was his always.

It was the way everything was supposed to be.

A/N:Why they might have split up is irrelevant, we know they'll always make it back to each other in the end.

I am fully aware it's not my best work, but the idea came to me and i only had a short time to write it in, so i thought it would be good to get it out.

Also any ideas for new projects? I'm going on a writing frenzy starting in three weeks, and i plan to have at least projects going. Any story ideas- let me know.x