Hermione wore beautiful silver dress robes, trimmed with red lace that helped to accent her every curve. Her eye makeup was smoky, sultry, her red lips lush. Severus had a hard time stopping himself from loosing her hair and taking her right there as she adjusted his own black, green trimmed dress robes.
"Gods you are the most gorgeous thing to walk this world." He breathed over her, his eyes narrowed on her lips. She grinned up at him.
"You're not half bad yourself, Master Snape." Her fingers walked up his chest and she came up on her toes to whisper in his ear.
"I've charmed it not to smudge, no worries my love." She fell back to her flat feet. She'd chosen shoes that had no heel, remembering his stab at the shoes she'd worn to their last get together. It seemed like it had just been the day before to Hermione, she found it hard to believe she'd been with him for ten months.
"Brightest witch of her age indeed." He brought his lips to hers, kissed her deeply, his hand coming down to hold her by her lower back.
"I love you." He rasped and she gave him that glorious smile, the one that melted his heart.
"I love you as well, my wizard." She winked at him and turned back to her mirror, touching up her hair quickly before she turned back to him.
"Ready? Draco will be panicking." She nudged the boy's godfather, her eyes sparkled.
"He is what the muggles would call a bridezilla, I fear." He grunted, his black eyes narrowed. He'd been tortured over the course of the planning for this wedding. Father of the groom was a difficult task, he'd even written to Lucius, complaining at the man for being such an idiot he couldn't be there to do the things Severus was having to do.
Lucius of course had not written back. He was still quite cross with his friend for turning him in, he supposed it would make more sense to him, if he knew of Severus' extremely deep feelings for the witch.
"He deserves his perfect day." She smirked and they stepped onto the grounds. The warming night air was dotted with little sparkling lights that seemed to float just everywhere. Even glittered over the lake.
They found their places at the back of the crowd as everyone was being seated and parted ways with a swift kiss. Hermione went to stand off to the side, waiting for it to be Harry's turn to come down the aisle, Draco would be escorted by Severus, the rehearsals had been something to talk about.
As Harry's maid of honor she would walk down the aisle with Ron, whom she had yet to spot.
Suddenly the redhead appeared and her eyes flicked to him. He looked a bit ill and she wondered if he was okay. "Think of the devil." She muttered to herself with a little smirk and he took no notice as he turned to her, a goofy smile on his face.
"You look great Hermione." He snatched her into a hug and she pulled back, uncomfortable, she could feel Severus' eyes on them.
"Where is the girlfriend you told me about? You did bring her didn't you?" She questioned casually, completely over it in all honesty. She'd found the man she considered to be her true love, had been pushed together with him by Ron's thoughtlessness. She could harbor him no ill will for that alone.
His face fell.
"We broke up, several months ago." He shuffled closer, she tensed but if he noticed he certainly didn't back off.
"You look really nice, 'Mione." He insinuated himself closer still and she twitched uncomfortably.
"Thank you, Ronald." She forced a tight smile and he stared down at her with sparkling blue eyes.
"I realized, while I was with her, she was just a replacement for you. You've had some time haven't you? To become a bit more available?" He was staring at her hard, his face serious.
Soft singing began then, the choir Draco had insisted upon and he fell silent. Still, he looked determined and she winced. Glanced at Severus who looked fit to be tied.
Oh, this was not good.
She and Ron hooked arms when it was time, walked before Harry down the short aisle that parted transfigured benches. All manner of people were there watching, some in disbelief, others happy for the two boys who'd come to join each other. Draco wore white dress robes, a lovely red tie hooked around his neck. Harry black dress robes, green tie around his neck.
A shared respect, a shared love.
Who would have ever thought, Slytherins and Gryffindors coming together in love as they were.
Hermione shed a few tears and Ron tried to hook his arm around her shoulders as they watched the ceremony but she shrugged him off every time.
Their hands were bound by Minerva, who performed the ceremony beautifully and soon they were bound together into eternity. Their eyes never left one another and Hermione swore she could feel the love rolling from them in waves.
Fine line it is, between love and hate.
The happy couple soon joined the others on an enchanted dance floor, Severus gave Draco a turn around the floor, his duty as acting father and he actually looked quite proud of his godson.
Ron caught up to her then, as she watched the father/son dance and her eyes flicked to him, she wanted to watch her wizard dance with his godson, not talk to Ron.
"I wanted to ask, 'Mione, would you like to dance? I saw you dance with Snape at the ball and, you looked like you've improved." She forced down her scoff and kept her eyes on Severus.
"Severus is a wonderful partner, yes." She agreed and he stared over at her, she could feel his wide eyes on the side of her head.
"On a first name basis with the git, sorry, but that's just crazy to me." He grunted, his hand coming out to grab hers, she snatched it away. Severus eyes flicked to her before they returned to Draco. He was saying something to his godson, she hoped they were words of pride, of wisdom, something positive.
Draco's grey eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
"So, do you want to dance, after the two special dances?" She flicked her eyes to him, Severus was handing Draco off to Harry, soon he would be stalking toward them, come to save her and whisk her away from the awkward situation. And that was the kicker wasn't it? He was asking her to dance with him, asking her in a more than friendly way about her emotional availability.
It turned her stomach. He'd broken it off with her, he was a very literal case of 'if you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best.'
She caught Severus' eye as his long strides brought him through the crowd to her, Ron was still watching her expectantly, he grabbed at her hand again and so distracted she was by Severus that he succeeded. Severus sneered, she could feel his irritation from their distance.
She wanted him to close it faster. She shook off Ron's hand, shot him a look.
"Severus is my escort, Ronald, don't be rude." She snipped and he looked at her with wide eyes.
"Hermione, I'm trying to ask you to be with me again, don't focus on him and give me your time for a moment. I miss you." He trailed off his eyes darting between the two. As if he knew, just couldn't admit it to himself.
"We're better as friends Ron, you said it yourself." She glanced over at him, his blue eyes were watching her with scrutiny, she could almost see the gears working in his head.
Her eyes flicked to Harry and Draco dancing and she grinned at the pair. Gods they looked so in love. And then she looked at Severus again, he'd closed more than half of the gap, having gotten caught by a few old acquaintances before he could come to her.
She gave him a soft smile, as if to assure him she would survive.
His eyes flicked to the redhead who was still watching confused.
"I don't really think that though, I know you were going through a hard time, I should have been more supportive, should have helped you through it. I'll never abandon you during a hard time again." This time her eyes flicked to him, their amber depths true stone as she stared at him.
"Enough Ron." She couldn't bring herself to say more, her stomach was summersaulting inside her body. If Severus didn't get to her soon she would break down. He'd been the only thing keeping her afloat for these ten months. If Ron lashed out, said anything ugly, meaning it or not, she could ruin Harry's wedding.
She really didn't want to do that.
She loved Harry too much.
Her eyes fell back on the happy couple, they were still dancing, cheek to cheek, their eyes so filled with love. Others had begun to join them on the enchanted dancefloor. A buzzing light flew past her face and caught her attention for just a second.
She felt like her senses were hyper aware, as if she were honing in on things to acutely.
"That could be us, Hermione, I know our love was- is that strong." He put his hand on her shoulder, spun her to face him. This time Severus was close enough to hear his grunt of disapproval.
His arms came around from behind her just in time and she sank into him, her eyes fluttered closed.
Ron cursed under his breath.
"I apologize, Mister Weasley, I am afraid I owe my lovely girlfriend this dance." He shot Ron a dark look, Ron who only stood, gawping. Hermione opened her eyes and gave him a soft smile.
"He was there for me when I was falling apart, he deserves me at my best." She quoted her own inner thoughts and turned to Severus. Her hand held out to him, palm up. He smirked.
"Are you well, witch?" He questioned, low in her ear when they'd made it to the dance floor. She hummed her approval as her head fell to his chest, the hyper aware senses dying down.
"Thank Merlin for you Severus, you are the best thing to ever happen to me." She clutched him tightly, swaying to the music against his body and he smirked into her hair, kissed the top of her head.
"And you me, Hermione." He breathed into her hair and she smiled against him. Her eyes flicked to a flabbergasted Ron and she wanted to feel sympathy, really she did.
She just couldn't.
Perhaps Severus was rubbing off on her a bit more than she'd thought.