Chapter 3: Wedding Dresses.
It had been a week since the 'My-Prat-of-an-ex-boyfriend-reappears-and-ruins-my -bleeding-life' situation that happened at the Burrow. Being the classy, amazing, gorgeous woman I was I took it all in stride.
And by stride I mean that I've been hiding like a hermit in my apartment eating ice cream by the gallon, and balling my bleeding eyes out while watching sappy girl flicks.
I have officially become that girl.
The worst of it all, I couldn't bring myself to explain any of what happened to Henry. I was the worst girlfriend in the history of the world.
Henry Lewis, Puddlemore United Seeker, Witch Weekly's number 6 hottest Quidditch Player and my on again off again boyfriend for the past year and a half. He really was one of the sweetest guys in all of existence; we just never really clicked when it came to the whole relationship thing. Over that time I guess we had progressed to the point of really good friends and we agreed since there was nobody else we were dying to see, we might as well keep seeing each other. It worked for us. We were both grown adults who had a certain itch to scratch so I never felt guilty about the classification of our relationship.
That was until I had realized what I had done.
I used poor Henry. And the worst part was he didn't even know it.
I made a mental note to send him a very long owl apologizing for the terrible person I was and then slumped back onto my sofa to wallow some more in my self pity.
Yes I am being selfish and annoying and everything I hate.
I promise I'll stop.
Soon.
Loud Bam's echoed through the room and my mind went into overdramatic overdrive.
What the hell?
Was the roof caving in?
Was there an earthquake and the building was coming down?
Had Voldemort somehow come back to life, teamed up with Hitler and were right now storming the building?
"GIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYY!" The shriek came accompanied by another set of thunderous booms.
Or it could be my future sister-in-law knocking on the front door.
It took every bit of effort I had to hoist myself up from the position I had occupied for the last 24 hours. My feet felt like lead as I shuffled the thousands upon thousands of miles that it took to reach the door. I opened it a fraction of an inch not even bothering to undo the chain.
"What?" My voice was as monotonous as Binns talking about Goblin rebellions.
"We're going dress shopping today! Aren't you ready?"
Dress shopping? Dress shopping?
Wasn't that next week?
My mind flashed to the dozens of movies and tubs of milk products.
Wow, it really had been a week.
"Alright, Alright, I'll be a second." I shut the door, undoing the chain and letting Hermione into the disaster that had become my apartment. She took a total of two steps inside before stopping and surveying the mess in shock.
"What happened here?" I simply grunted in response and shuffled my way into my bedroom to find something to wear that was suitable for wedding dress shopping. Hermione didn't take my monosyllabic response as an answer and continued to ramble on. "Ginny your bra is in the kitchen sink." I sniffed a shirt that was on the ground of my closet before shucking it on and wriggling out of my sweats. "There are like 15 tubs of ice cream in the garbage!" I snorted at that one, as I tugged on my skinny jeans and slipped into a pair of ballet flats. Way to point out the obvious there. "Seriously, I think your dishes are growing their own eco system." I crossed the hallway to the bathroom and quickly ran a brush through my hair and did a quick spell to do a light dusting of makeup on my face. "Didn't you have a cat once?"
I could understand where she was coming from. When it came to housework and cooking I always made sure that I did my best to make guests feel welcome. If someone were to come over I'd always get compliments for the neatness and the general atmosphere. To see my flat looking like a potion exploded was something that never ever happened.
Hermione had to know by now that there was something wrong. That meant she was going to be asking me about it, then trying to be understanding and sympathetic while she was shopping for a dress that she was going to be wearing on the happiest day of her life. In a nutshell I was going to have to act like sunshine's and rainbows were beaming from my arse.
At least if I wanted to be a good Maid of Honor and support my best girlfriend.
Which I was!
I pasted a smile on my face as I exited the bathroom to see the still horror-stricken form of Hermione.
"Seriously are you okay?" She asked as I reached past her to grab my pea coat from the hook.
Insert fake laugh here.
"Of course I am. Why do you ask?" She eyed me skeptically and I shifted my gaze away as I opened the door to let us out into the dimly lit hallway.
"What's with the nuclear explosion in your living room then?" Uhhhhhhh…..
Nucleahuid whatsit?
"That? Oh I've just been super busy this week. I've been meaning to get to it I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day lately."
"Right." Her voice dropped and a small frown appeared as if she didn't believe me, but I was thankful as we exited my building and started walking along the bustling streets of London that she let the subject go.
Awkward silence fell between us and I could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. Evasive maneuver #53 initiated. "So 'Mione have you had any luck with the bridesmaids dresses?"
It took her a total of two seconds to start gushing.
"You mean I haven't told you?! So Ron and I were walking by the cutest little shop the other day and I saw this dress, really super elegant gold straps, but it was purple. So I went in and I asked if it came in red as well and they said they had to check so I was like sitting there losing my mind while the girl checked with one manager after another. Finally the main guy came out of the back and said that they did carry the dresses in red but they would have to be special ordered, so I ordered them all right there!"
If I had been drinking something, I would have spit it out. "You ordered them all? You have 5 bridesmaids!" She frowned again in thought.
"Yes but Ron has four brothers! Plus Harry and Neville. Luckily Charlie agreed to walk both the mothers down the aisle or I would have no idea where I'd dig up another girl. I'm out of cousins." We turned the corner and say the brilliant pink sign hanging above the bridal shop.
Juliet's: This is where you're Happily Ever After starts.
I tugged open the door and was immediately assaulted by varying shades of powder pink and fluffy whiteness. It was everywhere. It was literally like I walked into a cloud, or a marshmallow, or the idea of hell that my mind constructs.
The dresses were overflowing hallways and dressing rooms and in one case kind of looked like it was eating one lady alive.
Oh wait no that was just her trying it on.
They were everywhere surrounding me and the only thing I could think was that there was no way in hell that simple and practical Hermione Granger was going to find a dress in this place. This place is where girls like Cho Chang and Lavender Brown belonged. Not us.
"Well Hello zer, do you perchanzzze huv an appointment?" A lady emerged from my right making The Bride to Be jump, clutching her heart and gasping a bit. Hermione's eyes just widened as she took in the massive girls figure.
This is where I come in. "Yes, we have an appointment. Under Granger/Weasley." The girls eyes flicked from my shoes all the way up to where my eyes stared in a would be amused expression.
"And vould you be ze bride to be?"
"Actually that would be me." Hermione inserted timidly.
Honestly. Who in the wizarding world didn't know what Hermione Freaking Granger looked like? She was on the cover of all different sorts of magazine and newspapers like every day!
Secondly, we could all tell your Faux French accent is fake as hell, give it up lady.
Just because the girl has bigger boobs then my head and is about twice as tall as me, didn't mean that I still couldn't take her.
She may have the height advantage, but I was a redhead.
And we have rage blackouts.
"Ah, of Couurse Mizz Grang-ah. We huv pulled all of ze dresses to your spezzifications. Zer are fifteen in all. You can sort through zem and choose ze ones you like, oui?" Instead of answering, like a normal person Hermione's mouth open and closed several times giving her the appearance not unlike a fish out of water.
A few moments passed. "That will be fine thanks."
We were shown to the dressing room where the dresses, all surprisingly modest compared to the ones on the main floor and lightly began thumbing through them.
"You did a great job out there 'Mione. Articulate that was."
"Oh Shove it. I'm sorry did you see that girl? She was bigger than Madam Maxine. I was terrified for my life." I snorted as I sorted through dresses, eying them earnestly.
"She was one huge Bitch."
She giggled again as she grabbed three from her half of the room and agreed on one from mine. I cleared the others out, grudgingly since we were in a magic/muggle shop and I'm sure sending out a sorting charm would cause a bit of a scene. Once I gave the fake French mountain troll the last of the dresses I waited as she tried the first one on.
As she opened the dressing room door I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't like it. It had also ironically been the only one that I had picked out. I wrinkled up my nose as I saw it, I obviously had no taste at all. The dress hung a good four inches short, the seam of the bodice stopped in the middle of her bust line making her look like she had four boobs instead of two.
Neither of us said a word just shook our heads as she disappeared once again.
The next one unfortunately was no better. Though on the right person the dress would probably look stunning, on Hermione it made her look like a wrapped sausage.
I will not even speak about the third one. I knew better than to think that we'd be able to find her wedding dress on the first day. I could only imagine the days upon days of searching that would be ahead of us. At least now she could try on the last dress and we could go and have a drink or something. The door opened, and all I saw was Hermione's glowing face.
The dress was exquisite, I don't even remember it being among the gowns she had picked out but I'm glad that it was. Simple white satin everywhere, a Light ruffle sweeping over one shoulder while the smallest of trains trailing in the back.
This dress screamed her name.
I stood slowly, as if the moment was suspended and everything had to be slow and deliberate to match it.
"It's perfect." The only words I said.
She beamed at me as she looked at herself. "Isn't it?"
I nodded feverishly before coming to stand behind her, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She looked incredible; Ron was totally going to die. That's when it hit me; I knew what his soon to be wife looked like in her wedding dress.
I'll file that away in the brother blackmail file.
Tears welled in my best friends eyes. "I'm getting married." She whispered and my arms instinctively wrapped her in a hug as we stared at the vision of Hermione in the mirror.
What can I say; you can't put a price on a perfect dress.
"How iz everyzing going my little doves." I removed my arms and Hermione turned with the confidence of a new woman.
"I'll take this one. Ring it up won't you?"
"Ron, seriously where are we going? We are supposed to stop by and see Neville before he has to head out to the Apothecary?" Ron wasn't answering me, instead he was muttering wildly to himself while stalking down the street. Luckily I was used to this, from Ron anyway and didn't balk when I received no reply. I might as well just continue to follow him eventually some semblance of an excuse would appear.
Another five minutes passed as we weaved erratically through oncoming pedestrians. This was getting a might ridiculous.
"Ron! Really, where in the blazes are we off too!?"
At least this time a mumbled "We're almost there" came for a response.
Really? Was that that hard?
Hermione manifested out of mid-air. "There you are! I thought you weren't going to make it. Did you bring the card?" Ron gave his fiancé a not so chaste of a kiss before stuffing one hand in his pocket and pulling out a thin platinum card. This got my mind to thinking a bit.
Did Ron have any idea what that was or did he just know that he had to carry it around just in case she needed it? Eh. Whatever.
"Hermione, are they here? Madam Maxine looks like she's going to rip off my arms if someone doesn't either pay her or feed her soon." My heart leapt in my chest as Ginny leaned out of the bridal boutique her hair down and untamed, wearing a worn green cotton shirt and the tightest pair of jeans I have ever seen.
Whoever made those things has my eternal gratitude.
She turned and I got a glimpse of her arse. I'm pretty sure I owe that designer more than my life and mortal soul combined. That was an arse that I could look at forever.
She turned again, eyes finally locking with my own.
Scratch that, THAT was something I could look at her forever.
"Of course, I'll be just one minute guys." The female Golden trio member vanished from sight.
"Things went well then yeah?" Ron said to his sister and my eyes shifted to her again. She was smirking now; it did amazing things for her mouth.
"I'm not telling you a thing."
Ron groaned. "Awww come on Ginny! I'm your brother!" He looked at her pleadingly and her smirk grew to a full fledged grin.
"And you still owe me 20 galleons from the Falcons match last month so hell no." I couldn't help my own smile as I watched the siblings bicker amiably at one another. I had missed this, the comfort that was there between them, between us. Everyone of course except for Ginny and myself.
Her eyes flicked towards me again and the joy instantly melted from her face. At that moment I would do anything to bring it back. "Harry." She said politely, inclining her head at me slightly.
"Gin." The words left my mouth before I had time to control them and I watched her freeze as the meaning assaulted her. I had always called her Gin, before…
Hermione bust back through the doors handing Ron back the credit card. "Thank you so much I can't believe I forgot my wallet!"
Ron beamed at her and I was struck as I had been hundreds of times since I had been home how in love they were. They really were head over heels in love with each other. It was mixture between sickening and cuter than hell.
"Anytime." They kissed again before Hermione was grabbing Ginny's arm and towing her down the street. Ron turned and started in the other direction while I made it a point to watch them leave. My hands shoved in my pockets as I made the first step back. At a distance I almost thought I saw Ginny turn around to look back at me. But the moment was so small I wasn't sure if it happened at all.
A/N: Hey everyone! Chapter 3 is now officially edited. Hopefully I didn't miss anything. I don't think I did.
Please feel free to review while you are reading. I absolutely adore it when you do.
Seriously.
Any idea on what's going to happen?
Any ideas on what you might like to happen?
Are we ready for some Harry/Ginny action yet?
I know I am.
Thanks for reading!
I love you.
-Nurse Holliday