Ginny worked wonders with various potions and her wand, tying Juliette's hair into an elegant bun and creating soft waves into her own and Hermione's before pinning it all to one side. The charms she used ensured that not one single hair on the three heads would move for the entire day.
Soon all three girls were in their dresses and preparing to apparate to The Burrow where the wedding would be taking place in traditional Weasley style. The wards in place were less strict now that the war was over and familiar witches and wizards could apparate directly into the house rather than to the boundaries.
"We'll just nip ahead and check everything's running on time, which it no doubt will be if I know Molly Weasley," Hermione told Juliette.
She grabbed Ginny's wrist and they went together to Fred and George's old bedroom where Molly was waiting for them.
"Oh, girls," she gasped, "you look wonderful."
"Mum! Don't start crying already. At least wait til the ceremony!"
"Sorry, you're right. I just love weddings and I can't believe my little Ron is getting married..."
"Yeah, yeah," Ginny waved her hand impatiently. "We have to go back and get Juliette, is everything ready?"
"Yes," Molly replied, wiping her tears, "the tent is up, the officiator from the Ministry is here, guests are seated and Ron is waiting with Harry at the end of the aisle. I'll see you down there?"
"Great," Hermione smiled. "One more thing Mrs Weasley, is Draco here?"
"Yes, dear. He was one of the first to arrive, even helped set up the tent. What a difference five years makes!"
Hermione nodded in agreement ad Molly left the room to head out into the garden. Ginny did apparated and appeared again in moments accompanied by a now very nervous looking Juliette.
"Ready?" Ginny asked.
"As I'll ever be," Juliette replied with a smile.
The three girls headed down the stairs and through the kitchen to the back door, meeting Juliette's dad as they did so. The tent was attached to the door so that they didn't have to step outside where the weather was cold and bitter. Heating charms had been cast inside the tent and wood flooring laid out so they didn't have to step on wet grass and mud. The tent was in two parts, the first that led from the kitchen was plain and empty, it acted as a waiting room for Juliette, her father and her bridesmaids to stand and listen for their musical introduction. Ginny and Hermione heard their cue and pulled the curtains apart that led to the second and much bigger part of the tent. A hundred guests sat at either side of the long aisle on white chairs with red bows fastened around them, fairy lights danced above their heads and red rose flower arrangements stood at the end of each row. At the end of an aisle was a wide arch made of the same roses. Ron stood there, next to Harry, looking eagerly up the aisle at Hermione and his sister. The girls began their rhythmic walk towards him, both smiling widely. Hermione spotted Draco's bright blonde hair close to the front and he winked at her as she walked by him. She and Ginny stood opposite Ron and faced the entranceway they had just walked out of, waiting for the bride.
The curtain opened and Juliette stepped out with her father. Quiet gasps could be heard as the guests saw the bride for the first time, Hermione stole a glance at Ron whose face looked awestruck as he gazed at the woman who would soon become his wife.
The couple repeated the vows they had chosen in turn after the Ministry official and as they kissed for the first time as husband and wife there was barely a dry eye in the house. Hermione silently thanked Ginny for tear-proofing their make-up once it was applied.
After posing for countless photographs, Hermione was finally able to seek out Draco as the tent was rearranged for everyone to sit down to a meal.
"Hello!" she gushed. "I'm so sorry I haven't spoken to you yet, bridesmaid duties beckoned. I'm glad you came."
"Me too, you look beautiful, Hermione."
She blushed. "Thank you, you don't look so bad yourself. I see the Muggle suit has made an appearance again."
"It's a different one but yes, I told you, they're more comfortable."
"They suit you," Hermione told him.
He thanked her and they walked to the table they had been assigned to according to the seating plan. Draco pulled Hermione's chair out for her to sit in and then sat next to her. The food appeared almost instantly and they enjoyed a delicious three course meal that rivalled even Molly's cooking.
After eating, the tent was rearranged again for the final time. A dance floor now took up most of the room and a band had set up on a stage in the corner. Draco stood and offered his hand to Hermione; an invitation to dance which she accepted.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Hermione asked as he took one of her hands in his and slid the other around her waist.
"I am, thank you. Are you?"
She nodded.
"Is it not strange, watching Weasley get married? He is your ex-boyfriend after all."
Hermione took no time in replying. "Not at all. Ron and I were meant to be friends, nothing more. Juliette is perfect for him, look at how happy they are."
Draco followed her line of sight and looked at the newlywed couple a few feet away, they were holding each other closely and dancing whilst sharing a laugh. They looked as though they were the only people in the room. Hermione squeezed his hand and he looked back at her questioningly.
"It's happening again," she told him.
Seconds later, he understood what she meant and found himself dreading what was about to happen next. To his relief, the setting for the latest memory was not one he recognised. They were in a spacious living room, a comfortable looking charcoal grey corner sofa taking up much of the space, an oak coffee table in front of it and a huge fireplace opposite. In one corner of the room was the biggest bookshelf Draco had ever seen and it was packed with books of all sizes. Draco would have immediately known who's home this was had she not been sitting on the sofa.
Memory Hermione looked exactly as she did in the present day, the memory they were about to watch couldn't have been very long ago. She was not alone on the sofa, sitting at the other end was a man Draco did not recognise. He was tall and fairly thin, had mousy brown hair and no real distinguishable features.
"Oh, no," Hermione mumbled. "Oh, I know what memory this is..."
"Which one?" Draco asked curiously.
Hermione had either not heard him or was ignoring him. "Oh, Merlin's pants. Why this one? Why today?"
"Hermione, what is it?" Draco asked, a little louder this time.
"You're about to find out," she replied miserably, watching herself set down the book she had been reading.
"Tim?" Memory Hermione said tentatively.
"Hmm?" the man, presumably Tim, replied, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.
"Can I ask you something?"
He put the paper down on the table and turned to face her.
"You love me, don't you?" she asked.
"Of course I do!"
"And, you want our relationship to move forward, don't you?"
she was looking at her hands, which were clenched in her lap.
"Yes..." Tim's expression was curious now.
"Good. Because I do too, I'd like us to live together."
"What-Really?"
"Yes, if you'd like to?"
"Of course I would!" he leaned over and hugged her, grinning.
"There's just one thing...I have something I need to tell you first. Something you didn't know about me."
"Okay..." it was Tim's turn to look nervous now.
"Well, the thing is, I'm not a solicitor. I do work in law, sort of but not the way you think," she took a deep breath. "I work in magical law, Tim. I'm a witch, I can do magic."
Tim laughed. "You're mad. Come on, what did you really want to tell me?"
"I'm telling the truth," Hermione insisted but Tim laughed again.
She reached into her handbag which was at her feet and pulled out her wand.
"If you don't believe me, I'll show you," she took a deep breath and pointed her wand at the newspaper he had just been reading. "Wingardium Leviosa."
The newspaper flew into the air as Hermione guided it around the room with her wand. Tim's jaw dropped as he followed it around the room and watched it land back on the table. Another flick of her wand and the newspaper turned into a book and then back again.
"What...how did you...?" Tim stammered, still looking at his newspaper.
"Magic. I told you, I'm a witch. I went to magic school when I was eleven and learned how to do it, now I work with wizards and other witches in magical law."
"You're a...a freak!" Tim stood from his seat.
"No," Hermione said, looking hurt, "I'm not. I'm still the same person, just I can do magic."
"And you waited a year to tell me this?!" his voice was raised now.
"Well I couldn't tell you straight away could I? I had to be sure that-"
"That what?! That you could trust me even though your were lying?"
"I wasn't lying, I just-" Hermione tried to explain.
"Didn't tell me that you were a freak with a magic wand? You belong in a zoo, with all the other freaks like you! Wonder how much I'd get paid for telling the world that we're living amongst weirdos?"
Hermione looked taken aback, she had obviously expected a better reaction.
"Tim, please, you're just in shock," she reached a hand out and held his arm.
"Don't give me that. You've lied to me for a year and you think I'll just get over it? I'm not staying here and living with you and your hocus pocus. Goodbye, Hermione," he pulled his arm away with such force that Hermione was knocked backwards and stormed out of the flat slamming the door behind him.
Hermione sank to her knees, heavy sobs making it difficult for her to breathe. She shuffled to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder which was hidden in an ornamental pot next to the marble hearth. She threw it clumsily into the fire and watched as the flames turned green.
"Harry!" she half-yelled, half-sobbed before standing up and standing up shakily.
Harry appeared quickly and looked alarmed at the sight of Hermione; red-eyed with tears streaming down her face.
"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. "What is it? What's happened?"
"Tim. He's gone, left me. He's going to tell people I'm a witch, Harry you have to stop him!"
"What?! You told him?!" Hermione nodded, a fresh wave of tears forming. "Right, just calm down, I can fix it. I'll go to work now and sort it. Stay here, okay?"
Harry took some floo powder from the still open pot and stepped back into the fireplace, shouting his destination; the Ministry of Magic. Hermione sank into the sofa and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them seeking comfort that did not come.
A gobsmacked Draco turned to face Hermione, who was watching herself with an overwhelming sense of sadness. "Hermione, I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"
"What good would it have done, talking about it? It happened and there's nothing I can do about it."
"It made me feel better, when I told you about Lina. You could have told me then."
Hermione shook her head but said no more. Draco continued to watch her intensely, usually such a strong and composed young woman, she looked so vulnerable now. She wasn't crying but her face bore an expression of sadness he had never seen before. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until the look on her gave changed. It was an unsettling feeling.
It was over an hour before Harry appeared in Hermione's fireplace again. He stepped out and sat down next to Hermione, awkwardly placing a hand on her back in an attempt to make her feel better.
"We found him," he said quietly. "He was back at his flat and already had a journalist there. The Obliviators took the journalist to a coffee shop nearby and modified both of their memories. They made Tim think that he had broken up with you because of you working too much and made him forget your address and phone number too. You won't hear from him again. I'm so sorry Hermione, I know you loved him."
Hermione said nothing as the new information sunk in.
"Listen, I'd love to stay but we've got Arthur and Molly coming for dinner. Are you going to be okay on your own? I can cancel if you need me to be here?"
"Don't be silly, Harry. I'll be fine," even as she said it her voice broke slightly, "go have your dinner, I'll owl you tomorrow."
Harry looked at her sceptically before hugging her and saying his goodbyes. As soon as he was no longer visible in the fireplace, Hermione let out a deep sigh and curled up into a ball on her sofa. She was not alone for long, however; half an hour later green flames appeared once more.
"Harry, I told you, I'm-Lucy? What are you doing here?" Hermione said, sitting up from the foetal position she had been in since Harry had left.
"Harry's head appeared in my fire a few minutes ago, he told me what had happened and that he was worried about leaving you alone. I'm so sorry Hermione..."
She crossed the room and bent down to give Hermione a tight hug before sitting down next to her. She reached into her large pink handbag and pulled out a bottle of wine.
"I might not be any good at relationship advice, what with my destiny to be an eternal spinster, but I can definitely help you drown your sorrows."
Hermione gave a small chuckle and summoned two wine glasses, she filled them up and handed one to Lucy. Both girls took large drinks then set their glasses down on the coffee table in front of them. Hermione explained fully what had happened with Tim; Harry only gave her a brief outline in his rushed conversation. Each time their glasses were almost empty, Hermione would wave her wand and refill them with a non-verbal spell. Not being much of a drinker, it soon began to take an effect and her tears soon began to flow again.
"What's wrong with me Lucy?" Hermione said abruptly, wiping the new batch of tears away.
"Wrong? With you? Nothing. Nothing at all Hermione. You're beautiful, intelligent, independent and not to mention you pretty much saved the wizarding world. Men are the problem, not you."
"Then why did this happen? Why don't I get to be happy?"
"I can't explain it Hermione. All I can say is if Tim did this to you then he's not worth your tears and he's obviously not the one you're meant to be with."
"Meant to be with? I don't think I'm meant to be with anyone Lucy. I feel like I just don't belong..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, I got together with Ron and it didn't work out and then all of this has happened with Tim. I couldn't get a relationship with a Wizard to work and couldn't get one with a Muggle to work. Tim has left me because I can do magic and yet I was taunted at school for having Muggle parents. It's like I don't fit in either world. Too magic to be a Muggle and too Muggle to be a witch."
Draco tried to ignore the pang of guilt at Hermione's words; focusing on Lucy's reply instead.
"Now you're being ridiculous," Lucy scolded. "You're a brilliant witch and a brilliant person. Look at everything you've done in just a few years at the Ministry; changed the laws for house elves and now you're starting to change things for muggle-borns. Any man would be daft not to want you. As much as i joke about being a spinster, I really do think there's someone out there for everyone, you just haven't found him yet."
"He doesn't exist Lucy, trust me," she lay her head on the back of the sofa cushion as the tears continued to flow silently down her face.
A few minutes later, Hermione's eyelids had closed and soft snores could be heard coming from her. Lucy summoned a blanket from the bedroom and gently placed it over her before apparating out of the flat.
The room disappeared and Hermione and Draco were on the dance floor once again. He gestured wordlessly to one of the empty tables around the edge of the room and the two made their way over and sat down.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I will be. It's not easy watching memories like that, is it?"
"Welcome to my world," Draco laughed humourlessly.
"I suppose it was about time I watched a bad one. I've gotten off pretty lightly so far since they began, haven't I?"
"You're telling me. I'm sorry you had to go through that though-everything with Tim and then reliving it."
"It's okay. It wasn't particularly nice but it was months ago, I know now that Tim wasn't a very nice person. As it turned out, Harry and Ron didn't really like him anyway, they just didn't tell me because they thought I was happy. I wish they had though, I spent a year of my life with him."
"For what it's worth, I agree with Lucy. There is someone out there for you, Hermione. Being a spinster is definitely not your destiny," he laughed.
"Maybe not," Hermione conceded, "I think I'll let fate decide that, just like fate is deciding when these rotten memories will stop."
"Maybe they're linked," Draco grinned. "We've both had such an awful time with relationships in the past, it might be fate telling us to be spinsters together."
His grin faded slightly as he considered his own words. He had intended them as a joke but now wondered if that had been the intention all along. He looked at the young woman in front of him who was staring back with a puzzled expression. He had never even wanted to think about being with another person after Lina and now he was doubting himself. The longer he looked at Hermione, the more intensely she stared back at him. Every cell in his body other than the ones that made up his broken heart was urging him to lean forward and kiss her though his life depended on him but his heart would not allow it; it did not want to be broken again.
"Hermione!" Juliette's voice pulled both Draco and Hermione out of their thoughts. "The porkey is about to leave!"
Hermione quickly stood out of her seat and rushed over to the beautiful bride and her new husband, who was looking red in the face from the exuberant dancing he had been doing. The portkey would be taking them to an all-wizarding island off the coast of Spain for their honeymoon. Her eyes were on the couple as they held on to the old tin can together but her thoughts were back at the table and the man that had wondered if their destiny was to be together.
A/N Super long chapter, I know! I'm sad to say there are only 3 more memories to go for Draco and Hermione, I know there have been a lot of 'almost' moments between them but the next chapter will see a big leap in their relationship! Hope you liked this one :)