A/N: Thank you so much to adrianiforever, cleotheo, Sparkle15, THGHPforever14, meadow-music, Blue-Stardust, gjasmine59 and AwesomelyMe2015 for their reviews on chapter 4! :)

I am very sorry that the posting of this chapter took longer than the two weeks I originally mentioned but with the end of the trip came another week of school, and then another plane ride back home, all within six days. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait though.

Enjoy! :)

Pictures on a Wall

Chapter 5 - The Tapes

"She's married bloody Malfoy?!" Ron exclaimed for the sixth time within the last ten minutes as Harry attempted to make the video recorder in the Weasley's living room work. Pain streaked through him as he thought about how much he missed Hermione in that moment and how she could have helped him to get the machine working.

"Yes Ron, she has, according to George anyway." Ginny said, shooting an annoyed look at her brother. She wasn't sure who was receiving the most of her anger at the moment, Ron, for his reaction and the way that it was escalating, George, Bill and Charlie for not telling them until now and then undergoing a tactical retreat in terms of 'the kids have to go to bed so we have to go too' with Charlie tagging along with Bill since the Burrow was apparently already 'full', or whether she should be mad at Hermione for what her friend had done.

Ron had waited for her, despite his escapades, and had set his hopes on marrying her one day. She had always looked forward to having Hermione as a sister-in-law and she felt betrayed by Hermione marrying their childhood enemy. She didn't understand it, not one bit. Hermione and Malfoy had always hated each other during school, why would that have changed so quickly in the span of time after they vanished?

"Okay, it's working." Harry said and they all turned around to watch the screen. According to George, Bill and Charlie, the videos would help explain the unprecedented union between Malfoy and Hermione. They all doubted it though.

"I doubt this is going to work." Ginny mumbled and they all knew that she wasn't talking about the ancient television that Harry had just managed to get going.

"Let's just see what George and the others gave us." Arthur said tiredly. He understood that Hermione had maybe not wanted to wait forever for his son to return and despite his dislike for the Malfoys, he knew that Hermione was a bright girl and that she would hardly rush into something like marriage without considerable thought beforehand.

The screen crackled a bit and Harry threw it a worried glance. They did not need the medieval screen to break down on them right now.

It prevailed however and flickered to life, buzzing a couple of times to show its displeasure at having to stand around for so long without being used.

"And now we have the season premiere of the Video Diaries!" They all stared gobsmacked at the screen as Seamus, looking a couple of years older did something akin to a happy dance in front of the camera.

"Seriously?" They saw Hermione walk past him to sit down on the sofa, giving him an incredulous look.

"You're calling it the video diaries?" Malfoys drawl reached their ears and they slowly watched him cross the screen to sit down comfortably next to Hermione, strapping an arm around her shoulder.

"What are you even doing here?" Seamus turned around and asked him.

"I got told that we are apparently doing some sort of video thing to show the others once they get back what has happened here... so here I am." He gestured with his hands the show that he was there and they could see Hermione roll her eyes, an affectionate smile quirking at the corners of her lips.

"We don't want to give them a heart attack!" Seamus exclaimed, his thick Irish accent growing even thicker. "We want to ease them into it, slowly, like a calf's birth!"

"A what?" They all felt their eyes pop out as Goyle entered the scene as well.

"You need a job." Malfoy declared flatly.

"I agree, you've been travelling around for too long, you've seen too many things." Hermione nodded sagely.

"Well, by now they've probably had a heart attack so we can forgo that idea!" Seamus threw up his hands in defeat and Malfoy just smirked in amusement as Goyle sat down comfortably in the chair next to the sofa.

"Well..." Seamus turned around again to face the camera, "As you lot can see by now, Hermione and I have become friends with Malfoy and Goyle, although we call them Draco and Greg nowadays." Goyle snorted in the background. Seamus sent him an annoyed look. "Well, Malfoy and Hermione are more than just friends at the moment but we'll get into the whats and wheres of that later, first we have to let you recover from the first heart attack. Bye!" And with that the screen grew black.

"What the bleedin' hell was that?!" Ron looked absolutely aghast and even Harry felt shocked when he thought he couldn't get anymore shocked than he already was. Seamus and Goyle were also in the mix? And they were all friends?

The screen crackled to life once more.

"Ah..." Seamus' face appeared very close to the screen. "It's working again!" He exclaimed happily and sighs were heard from behind him. "At least I can work it." He retorted and a chuckle was heard along with some mumblings. "I heard that!" Seamus said before stepping back from the camera.

"Now, as you already established in the last video log, these tapes are going to be a long string of heart attacks for you, so sit back and enjoy the ride." Seamus grinned. "Now, having had a precious few seconds to think back on the last video, which I admit was a disasterous start to this whole project, we bombard you with the next set of information. Oh and, sit tight, you may not be interested in all of the information but these tapes are not going to be sent only to the most noble friends of Hermione and I but also to the wonderful snakes of Slytherin." His hand gestures were grand.

"Maybe he should become a poet." Draco murmered.

"Or an actor." Goyle agreed. Seamus ignored them.

"So, on to subject number one and two, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, please present your cases to the people behind the screen." He grinned as he pointed back at the camera.

"Well, Harry, Ron, Ginny and all of the Weasley family that are watching this... and anyone else for that matter, none of us here have gone crazy. We can firmly assure you have that." She smiled warmly as Draco rolled his eyes. "We're planning on doing these 'video logs' once a year to keep you guys up to date with what has happened in our life so that when you get back you know what has happened to us."

"She finds the conventional 'sitting down and telling people how her life has gone at a reunion' too mundane." Draco said with a smirk.

"Oh shush." She said, but was smiling none-the-less.

"Anyway..." Seamus rolled his eyes motioning for them to get a move on.

"So, I attended Beauxbatons after the war to finish my schooling, you all know that I would never be happy with an unfinished education and without a diploma in my pocket." Hermione grinned at the camera. "Incidentally, Draco here decided to also attend Beauxbatons, seeing as his family has property in France."

"And because I wanted to get away from all those annoying reporters, especially Rita Skeeter." They all grimaced along with him at the dreaded woman's name.

"It's been three years since we last saw any of you by the way." Goyle decided to fill them in while Seamus began a conversation of gestures with Hermione and Draco, obviously they were trying to decide whether or not to mention something or the other. "We all graduated roughly two years ago. As you just heard, Hermione and Draco went to Beauxbatons and graduated from there. Seamus went to the US to finish off his education there. He went to the New York Academy for the Magically Talented, abbreviated NYAMT by us and more commonly referred to as Nyamt. It annoys the hell out of him."

"Oi!" Was Seamus' reply before he turned back to his silent conversation with Hermione and Draco.

"I was in exile up until two months ago and I was in Bulgaria for one year, finishing off my education at Durmstrang Academy. Suprisingly they decided to let me join the school." He said rather off-handedly, the topic seemingly having been one he had finished thinking about a long time ago.

"Don't put yourself down Greg, you are quite an accomplished wizard." Hermione said, stunning all those who were watching the video in fascination.

"I agree." Seamus shouted.

"I am not saying 'me three'." Draco shook his head. "No way." Hermione, Seamus and Goyle chortled at his expense but he merely rolled his eyes.

"So anyway, after graduating, Hermione decided to take it easy for a while, running away and hiding from the Ministry in the process." Goyle looked gravely serious and the only thing that gave him away was the strange twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

Harry felt gobsmacked. This was Goyle, Gregory Goyle, one of the dumbest sidekicks that he had ever met, having an intelligent and actually quite interesting commentary. Hell had officially frozen over.

"I wasn't running away!" Hermione exclaimed in indignation.

"No, you were just barring your windows so that no Ministry owl could enter your appartment and bring you more job offers that you were going to refuse anyway." Draco responded with a smirk and she hit his arm lightly.

"I just don't fancy working for the Ministry." Hermione said. "And to those of you wondering whether I am insane since I have been babbling about working at the Ministry for the rights of all for as long as we can all remember, no I am not. It's just that I have no fancy to listen to laws being made that mean nothing anyway and to watching a system that has not shown any signs of improving their ways anyway." She said rather resolutely. "And anway, I already have a job now so I don't have to worry about money. Actually, Harry and Ron, you guys will probably notice it the next time you visit Gringrotts, but the Ministry all paid us quite a hefty sum for our contributions during the war, so you probably don't have to work for the rest of your lives if you use the money carefully."

Harry and Ron both nodded at each other to check their bank accounts at Gringrotts as soon as humanly possible then. They wanted to know just how much a 'hefty' sum entailed.

"So after a year of deciding to take it easy, the former brain of Hogwarts decided to start up a brand new potions company with the man sitting next to her right now." Goyle continued with his commentary.

"We decided to call it Stellar Potions." Draco said.

"Yeah, since Malfoy Potions or Granger Potions or any other combination of the two would cause a world wide panic in the Wizarding World." Hermione quipped.

"And you would have had Rita Skeeter knocking down your door." Seamus said, the response of which was them all shuddering as they thought of the annoying and lying reporter.

"I started my work as an auror in the Ministry two months ago and Seamus is still intent on travelling around the globe to 'find himself and the meaning of life'." Goyle said sarcastically.

"Oi! The girls love it when you say something romantic like that!" Seamus replied indignantly.

"Well anyway, despite our work lives, which are a lot less interesting than most people believe, we move on to the actual news that we wish to impart on you today." Goyle rounded off.

"You should have become a news reporter, you would have been bloody brilliant." Seamus said and Hermione and Draco nodded in agreement.

Goyle simply shrugged and indicated for them to finally state their news and be done with it.

"So... well... I think there's really no other way to put this," Hermione cast a brief glance at Draco who nodded in encouragement, "But, Draco and I are engaged to be married next month." Her face was glowing with happiness and her eyes were shining despite the worry that was clouding them.

"Da da daa..." Seamus said and grinned at the screen. "Until next time kiddos!" And with that the screen turned black on the amused expressions of Hermione, Draco and Goyle.

"What..." But Ginny's voice was cut off as the screen flickered to life once more.

"Now, I am sure you are all wondering why I am looking so handsome in a suit today," Seamus said with a grin, obviously walking somewhere with the camera that was currently pointing at him, "But I have decided to chronicle the most mind-blowing wedding in history." Then he grinned. "And the groom and bride don't even know about it yet."

"Talking to yourself again Finnigan?" Came a voice and the camera spun around to face the sneering face of someone they did not recognise.

"And that charming young twerp over there is Draco's cousin, Abraxas McDonnall, from his father's side. Avoid him at all costs if possible." Seamus said sarcastically as he brushed past the young boy that he obviously didn't like.

"But anyway, I am currently on my way to see the groom, so get ready guys!" He announced happily while the camera took in the bright corridor that he was currently walking down. "And... here we are!" Seamus exclaimed happily and opened the door... to a pacing Draco Malfoy and a bored looking Goyle.

Seamus, and the camera, stopped for a couple of seconds before venturing further into the room. "What are you doing?" Seamus asked and Draco looked up briefly, glared slightly at the camera and then resumed with his pacing.

"He's nervous." Goyle decided to fill in for them.

"I am not nervous!" Draco exclaimed heatedly before resuming with his pacing once more.

"No, you've just been pacing up and down that poor stretch of carpet for the last fifteen minutes by now." Goyle remarked calmly.

"Well how would you feel if you were marrying the singularly most beautiful and absolutely amazing and intelligent person you know. Who you happen to be head over heels in love with?!" He asked, gesturing wildly.

"Oh god, he's cracked." Seamus remarked.

"Yeah, we need to do damage control, he's supposed to be going up that aisle to take his place in five minutes." Goyle informed Seamus.

"Okay... then let's do it!" And the camera blacked briefly before flickering back to life a second later.

"And now we are standing here in the most wonderful of all places... the middle of a church!" Seamus said excitedly and in the corner of the screen they could see Goyle rolling his eyes. The whole church grew quiet then however as Hermione stepped through the doors, accompanied by Charlie who was giving her away and two girls behind her who were her bridesmaids.

Everyone's breaths caught in their necks as they watched Hermione walk down the aisle slowly to a beautifuly melody. She was a vision in white, absolutely beautiful.

Her hair was tied up in an elaborate design with a few stray strands escaping to dance around her face. Her eyes were glowing with a warmth that they had never seen in there before. The dress twirled around her, looking like a piece of art as it hugged all the right places. It looked old, yet also new and it fit Hermione's personality to the 't'. Whoever had gotten her dressed was a bloody genius they all decided, as Hermione truly did look earth-shatteringly stunning.

The camera swung around to capture the look on the groom's face and he looked as if he had been put underneath a spell.

"He is sooo whipped." Seamus muttered to Goyle.

"Yup." The other man simply replied.

When Hermione finally reached the end of the aisle to take her place next to her soon-to-be-husband, she smiled up at him and he smiled back down at her, the most genuine smile that they had ever seen him sport.

No words had to be exchanged in that moment, the love for the other burning brightly in their eyes.

The ceremony went on and was over surprisingly quick, considering that this was a Malfoy marriage. However, the vows were exchanged and after they had left the church with a number of cheers following them, the screen briefly went black once more before flickering back to life to focus on a scene at the party after the wedding.

A traditional Irish jig filled the air and they all watched as Seamus grinned over at the person who was holding the camera from what looked like a radio but obviously wasn't. The camera was pointing at the dance floor where Hermione was getting whisked around by Draco, both of them laughing happily as they easily fell into the steps of the jig, obviously knowing it.

The pure, unadultered joy that was present on their faces and the faces of the people around them struck a chord in Harry's heart. He watched in wonder as Hermione danced with Lucius while Draco danced with Narcissa before dancing with Seamus and then Goyle. She mainly danced with only Draco though and even when they weren't right next to each other, their eyes always sought out the other and they shared a smile, a look of love.

This was what he had been wishing for ever since the war ended. No... he had been wishing for a scene filled with such happiness even long before that. He cast a brief glance at Ginny and wondered if they would ever be able to make what they had shared work out once more as he knew that no one else would ever stir the same emotions and feelings within his heart that Ginny did.

George, Bill and Charlie were also at the reception, Fleur and what he presumed to be Victoire and Dominique flitting around as well. They looked just as happy as everyone else and he saw them all congratulate the newly wed couple.

It was strange for them, watching this scene that had happened seven years ago. For them the wounds of the war were still fresh, so to see Hermione getting married to Draco, Seamus getting drunk with Goyle, Lucius Malfoy having a civil conversation with Charlie and Fleur talking animatedly with Narcissa was something that was almost other-wordly. It was almost as if they were watching a show on the television, it was hard to register it as something that was real.

And all the while several people's hearts were breaking apart on the inside.

The scene on the screen changed again and they all blinked a couple of times in surprise as they saw a very pregnant Hermione sitting on the couch with her feet up as Draco sat next to her rubbing her back. Seamus was practically bouncing up and down in front of the camera as he set it up while Goyle just calmly continued sipping his tea.

"Okay, first of all, we want to all apologise for not making a video last year." Seamus said quickly. "We were all kind of busy, Hermione and Draco here were concentrating on getting their company running, I had just started working again,"

"In our company." Draco added with a smirk.

Seamus grinned, "Yeah, and Goyle was following this group of death eaters for most of the year before catching them and putting them behind bars." He grinned at Goyle who just nodded at the screen.

"Other than that, I've been in and out of relationships, and Greg here's decided to stay single." Seamus shot his friend a mock glare. "And no, you cannot use the excuse of being busy with moving and work anymore since your move back to England was a whole year ago!"

Goyle just snorted and rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to his tea. Seamus sighed heavily as if he was much older than he actually was.

"And as you can see, the infuriatingly happy couple behind me are getting another blessing in the form of their first child." He pointed behind him and Draco chuckled as Hermione sent him a small glare.

"You try and call swollen feet and a stomach three times its normal size a blessing again Seamus Finnigan and you will find yourself drawn and quartered by me personally." She responded huffily.

"It's a blessing." Seamus grinned as he looked over his shoulder at Hermione and she just rolled her eyes as the corners of her mouth twitched upwards to form a smile. The rest of the video was spent telling them about what had happened in the previous two years, not only to them but to the world in general.

The next video sported another pregnant Hermione and a small mini-Draco on the actual Draco's knees while Seamus sported an engagement ring and spent half of the video talking about how wonderful his wife to be was. Goyle was happily watching the occurings in front of him and delivered his input here and there.

The next tape showed Seamus getting married in a church to a beautiful woman in white with Draco and Goyle as his best men while Hermione filmed the scenes from the crowd. It was the happiest that they had ever seen Seamus and they had to admit that it felt heart-warming to see their friends so content.

A year after the last report found Hermione laughing as Draco attempted to get their son to sit still while she held her daughter close while Seamus talked about his own bundle of joy that was on the way. His wife was surprisingly absent though. Those were the only major news that year along with Goyle having some long-term assignments in Germany and Kingsley being voted to remain in office as the Minister of Magic. Draco's and Hermione's company was doing well with Seamus having risen through the ranks to be their deputy - apparently he was the only one that could deal with them - and Goyle mentioned a small increase in suspicious activity from death eaters but that was all.

The first thing they saw in the next tape was Seamus holding his just under a year old twins right in front of the camera and talking proudly about them. His wife was absent once more. Hermione and Draco had had another child, a boy, and Goyle was apparently in a relationship for the first time in ages, according to the others at least. Scorpius and Cassiopeia ran and crawled all around the place, depending on how they felt and thoroughly enjoyed evading the attempts of their parents to calm them down. In it Hermione also mentioned that she, Draco and their family would be moving back to England that year and also talked a bit about expanding their company.

The next video, and as it also turned out to be, the last one, was from the previous year. In it they found the Malfoys in good spirits, they appeared to be truly happy with what they had. Goyle was also happy and Hermione, Draco and Seamus were sure that he would propose to his girlfriend soon. Seamus on the other hand looked more haggard. It turned out that he was filing for a divorce with his wife and planning on winning the complete custody over the two year old twins. The others all seemed certain that he would.

The videos stopped there and the screen grew black a final time. Harry looked over at the other, somewhat smaller tapes and decided that now was not the time to pour even more salt into the wounds that were beginning to open up in some of their hearts. They all sat in silence for a couple of seconds before Ron got up, pushed the chair he had been sitting on backwards harshly, causing it to fall down with a crash as he stomped out into the cold snow outside of the Burrow. Harry sighed and got up to follow him, he had a feeling that Ron would need someone to lean onto tonight and that it wouldn't be Lavender who was still sitting in her chair looking quite disgruntled.

After the two of them left Ginny was the first to get up and move. She walked over slowly to the box containing everything that Hermione and the others had given George. As the others continued to be immersed in their own thoughts, she picked a random photo album and opened the cover to look at the first page. On it was a picture of Hermione and Draco.

Underneath it read:

They don't know that I took this picture but I think that it's one of the best I've managed to get.

She recognised the handwriting as Seamus' and looked at the picture as a lump began to form in her throat. Hermione was sitting next to Draco on a couch of some sort, a fire flickering to the left of them. Hermione was leaning onto Draco's shoulders as he had his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Both were sleeping and a book lay on her lap as his other hand held another. They looked serene and at peace, almost as if everything was alright in the world.

They fit together perfectly, as if they were made for each other.

A small tear slipped down Ginny's cheek and fell down onto the paper as she looked at the best friend that she didn't know whether or not she recognised her any more.

Ten years really were a long time to lose.