Hey Lovelies! Chapter 12 is up! Yay! This is "Love is a Beautiful Thing" by Phil Vassar. I hope that you like this one, what's a wedding without a little family drama! Enjoy!
Chapter 12 – Love Is A Beautiful Thing
"Three days before Christmas! Why on earth did I let you talk me into getting married three days before Christmas?" Hermione was flying around Draco's study gathering up all of the little things that she and Andi and Cissa had strewn about. The older two witches laughed as she panicked about.
"'Mione, my dear, you need to relax." Cissa reached out and grabbed the girl's arm on her way back by. "Everything is perfect. Nothing is going to go wrong, this is going to be a perfectly wonderful wedding."
Hermione sighed. "You are trying to sell that too hard. What's going on?"
The Black sisters exchanged a glance and then Andi reached into her pocket and withdrew the one RSVP that Hermione hadn't seen. She handed it over and the bride-to-be looked ill. "When did this get here?"
"Yesterday." Cissa gave a weak smile. "I saw it on the table yesterday and I grabbed it. I know that you wanted them to come,"
"I wanted them to come before what happened in Diagon Alley. I sent out the invitations the week before that happened. Did they honestly think that they would still be welcome when she tried to do to you?"
Hermione's reaction was similar to what Cissa had had to say to Harry last night, and she answered her in the same way that her husband had. "Maybe this is her way of apologizing. Maybe she is extending an olive branch by trying to reestablish connections with our family. Your wedding is a time to celebrate our differences, to step forwards and continue our lives. Maybe this is her chance to apologize."
"Maybe." Draco's voice echoed towards the three women from the doorway. "But I reserve the right to throw her out if anything I don't like comes up."
Hermione smirked at her fiancé and nodded. "Deal. She can come, because I invited her initially, but if she so much as makes a snarky comment to anyone in this family we are throwing her out."
Cissa and Andi laughed and moved towards the fireplace. "We will be back tomorrow, with Ginny and Luna, and you," she pointed at her son, "will be spending the next two nights at Harry and I's place. Two nights apart will not kill the two of you."
He smirked at his mother, "And how would you feel if it did?"
She shook her head at him and grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the flames. "I'll see you tomorrow. Grimmauld Place!" The flames rose around her as they spun out of sight.
Hermione shook her head and kissed Andi's cheek as she too disappeared in the flames. With a small smile she turned towards Draco. "I know that I invited her, but what if they were right in keeping that from me? Do I really want to chance her ruining everything?"
"Even with the stunt she pulled at Mom and Harry's it still wasn't ruined." He opened his arms for her. "I think it will be just fine. Besides no one is going to let her do anything too crazy. Ginny will be right beside you and Harry right beside me. They won't let her get to you." She looked up at him and he realized it wasn't her she was worried about. "They won't let her get to Mom either."
Hermione nodded and buried her face in his chest. "I know. I love you Draco."
"And I you." He kissed the top of her head as he held her close.
The next two days flew past and before she knew it Hermione was standing in her bedroom in flowing white dress, her bridesmaids and her family gathered around her. She smiled in the mirror at Cissa, who was using magic to set Hermione's hair in elaborate curls.
"Thank you."
Cissa returned her smile. "Of course. It's nothing."
"Not for doing my hair." She saw the blonde witch lower her wand and she turned around. "For everything. For this wedding, for your friendship, for Draco."
Cissa touched Hermione's cheek gently, careful not to smudge any of the makeup. "You are just as responsible for the man he is today as I am. You are his perfect match, and I couldn't be more thrilled to call you my daughter as well as my friend. You deserve this 'Mione, no one could be prouder of the two of you than I am."
"Thank you." There was a glint of unshed tears in the younger witch's eyes, but she managed to contain them. "Any last minute advice Lady Potter?" She grinned and Cissa rolled her eyes.
"Enjoy every minute of it." She pressed a kiss lightly to the girl's head just as there was a soft knock on the door.
"Come in." Hermione called and she was surprised to see her parents enter the room. Hermione turned to Cissa, "I didn't think they were coming. They weren't overly supportive of this marriage."
"I know. But I thought that you would want them here, so I went to see them." She found herself wrapped, as tightly as she could be given she was seven months pregnant, in Hermione's arms. "Happy Christmas my dear."
"Thank you." Came the soft whisper in her ear, just before the girl released her and turned to her parents.
Twenty minutes later they heard the music change. The fast-paced happy tunes turned to the slow, enchanting ones Hermione and Cissa had selected for the occasion. Cissa went first, Harry meeting her at the end of the aisle and guiding her gently to her seat, as mother of the groom. Then came Mrs. Granger, led down the aisle by Ron, who sat down in the row behind her.
The bridesmaids were next. First came Fleur, a vision in the dark emerald gown that Hermione had chosen for her, on the arm of Blaise Zabini. They were followed, three steps behind by Luna and Gregory Goyle, an odd pair if there ever was one. And finally came Ginny, Hermione's maid of honor and long time friend, on the arm of the man that she considered her best friend, and was also soon to be her father-in-law, Harry Potter. Teddy and Victorie followed hand in hand down the aisle. Stopping when they reached the front and each clambering off to opposite sides, Teddy onto Andi's lap and Victorie onto Bill's.
When they had parted at the front of the church Draco stood alone, waiting in front of the minister for her to come down the aisle. The music changed again and a waltz started to play. Tears sprung to Cissa's eyes when she realized the song that Hermione had chosen. It was the song that she and Harry always considered theirs.
The crowd stood as the bride and her father came into view. She was beautiful, her hair and makeup flawless, but it was her eyes that struck everyone down. They were shining more brightly than anyone had ever seen, and her smile, seemed to only make them burn brighter. When she reached the front of the church she stopped. She turned and kissed her mother's cheek, and then crossed the aisle and kissed Narcissa's.
"Thank you." The blonde witch murmured in her ear as the girl leaned in.
"I thought it was appropriate." She winked as she backed away and with a kiss to her forehead Mr. Granger handed her off to Draco.
The ceremony was short, sweet, and the heartfelt vows had nearly every woman in the place in tears. When the couple turned around to face their guests again they were both beaming. "May I present to you, Lord and Lady Malfoy." The crowd was on its feet again as the newlyweds and the bridal party trailed back up the aisle.
Seconds later Harry was standing at his wife's side. "Are you alright?" He smiled at the tears streaming down her cheeks.
She smiled up at him and nodded as she took his elbow. "I'm very happy." He leaned in and kissed her before pulling her back up the aisle, Ron and Mrs. Granger right behind them.
When everyone had cleared their chairs Andi waved her wand and the ballroom transformed into a beautiful reception hall. Lights twinkled overhead, almost as if the stars were watching them dance. Harry and Cissa sat with Draco and Hermione and her parents as dinner was served by the house-elves.
It was after the first dance that Mrs. Granger pulled Cissa to the side. "I owe you an apology, and a sincere thank you." Cissa looked confused, but Hermione's mother pressed on. "You have taken my daughter into your family wholeheartedly, when her father and I stepped away. You shouldn't have had to do this for them by yourself, and I hope that you can accept my apology?"
Cissa smiled, "Of course. I understand your hesitation to have your daughter marry into the Malfoy family; I wish my own mother had had those same reservations years ago. But I can assure you that those two love each other very much, and that this generation of the Malfoy family will far out do the last."
Mrs. Granger nodded and smiled, but her smile faltered a little when there was a sudden coughing from just behind Narcissa. The blonde woman turned and was surprised to see that Molly Weasley had indeed approached her.
From across the room the Malfoy's, Harry and Ginny all looked up to where the Weasley and Potter matriarchs were standing. To everyone's surprise Mrs. Weasley dropped a shallow curtsey before Narcissa. The shock was clear on every face in the room, even Cissa couldn't hide it.
She nodded her head in respect, "Mrs. Weasley."
"Lady Potter," she stood and looked the other woman in the eye, "You deserve an apology from me as well. I have been nothing but cruel to you since I found out that you and Harry were together. I can see now that love really transcends all boundaries that we held before. By no means am I okay with your relationship with the boy I considered like a son, but I am offering to stop fighting about it."
Cissa smirked and shook her head slightly at Harry and Draco who had been making their way across the room towards her. Carefully she extended one hand towards Molly, the other shielding her unborn son. "I never expected you to welcome me with open arms Molly. Acceptance even if it is given reluctantly, is a step in the right direction."
Molly took the offered hand and pulled the other woman too her. "I still don't trust you. You may be a Potter now, but you were born a Black, and then you were a Malfoy, there is too much darkness in you to ever be a part of the light."
"You're wrong." Harry's voice cut over her. "Release my wife. Now." She let go and took a step back only to find herself surrounded by Draco, Hermione and the rest of their bridal party.
"You were invited here today at my wife's request, but she and I made a deal, and you have just broken it. You are no longer welcome here. By threating my mother, you have threatened the Potter family, the Black family, and the Malfoy family, you have done it twice before, and this is the third and final time." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter.
Harry smiled as Draco handed it to Mrs. Weasley, "We tried to give you a chance Molly. We tried to believe that one day you would put this behind you and accept our family, but you can't. So you are banned from Malfoy Manor, and Grimmauld Place, and by order of the Wizengamot you are banned from the presence of our families."
Kingsley and Andromeda had joined them and he took over Harry's speech. "If you threaten any member of this family again, you will not only face whatever curses, spells or enchantments that they lay upon you, but you will face time in Azkaban. This has gone on long enough Molly." He whistled sharply and two Aurors came out of the shadows and stood to either side of Mrs. Weasley. "Please escort Mrs. Weasley from Lord Malfoy's property."
When they had gone Cissa turned to Hermione. "I'm so sorry it had to come to that tonight Hermione, I know you didn't want her to ruin anything."
Hermione swept her mother-in-law into a hug. "She didn't ruin anything. I'm just glad you're okay."
Cissa chuckled. "We are more than okay, she didn't have a chance to pull her wand this time." All six of them chuckled and turned to rejoin the party.