AN: So this is a nice awkward heartbreaker chapter, sorry. Let me know what you think!

Read and review please!

Song suggestion: Dance again, Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull.

Chapter Twenty Nine: Confronting the issue.

Hermione watched as Pansy and Blaise turned to the crowd and walked down the aisle in dread. She knew she should feel joy for her fellow classmates but it didn't all she could think of was that she had to be married soon and to none other than the man next to her who was offering her his arm. Slowly she slipped hers through, ignoring the zaps of electricity pumping through their touch and walked down after Pansy and Blaise thinking how this time soon she would be doing this again but as a married woman.

Draco smiled as he watched his two best friends walk down the aisle in happy oblivion. Then he looked at his soon to be wife next to him. She stared straight ahead, seemingly ignoring him. Even ignoring him she was beautiful, something he was aware of every second of the day. As tradition the Maid of Honour and the Best Man-or in this case of a Veela Marriage Ceremony the Host-were to walk down after the Bride and Groom so he held out his arm to her and watched her hesitate before taking it. He felt the energy between them and smiled larger before walking down the aisle thinking this time soon they would be doing this again but as a married couple.

The reception was a buffet and dance area ringed with tables and chairs. Simply beautiful. Hermione smiled at the decorated room.

"Hermione!" Pansy cried and walked over on Blaise's arm.

"Congratulations!" She smiled and hugged Pansy, "This is so beautiful."

"Thank you." Pansy giggled as she hugged Malfoy and Hermione hugged Blaise.

"Congratulations Blaise." She nodded as she drew away.

"Thank you Granger." He nodded back and she couldn't help but notice him glancing at her neck where her Bite was hidden.

"Good luck Blaise, you're going to need it." Malfoy shook hands with Blaise.

"Thanks Draco."

"Daphne!" Pansy called and pulled Blaise away. Then Hermione continued to ignore the man next to her.

"Granger?" Malfoy touched her shoulder to get her attention.

"Yes Malfoy." She stepped away from him and the connection he'd created.

"What happened this morning? You weren't there."

"I went to get ready." She looked away, her eyes blazing the truth, I was avoiding you.

"I would have thought you'd at least wake me up and say goodbye."

"Why?" She nibbled her lip awkwardly.

"Don't do this." He frowned.

"Do what Malfoy?"

"Don't pretend nothing happened."

"I'm not pretending."

"You can't ignore this."

"Watch me." She hissed before walking away and making a point of talking to everyone she could find.

Malfoy sighed and watched from his own conversations with others until she ran out of people before walking up to her again. Hermione felt his gaze across the room as she struck up conversations with people she didn't know. But too soon she'd spoken to everyone and stood away from everyone hoping to avoid the one person who she didn't realise was walking up behind her.

"We need to talk." He whispered in her ear.

"No we don-"

"Now." He pulled her out of the room and into the corridor and into one of the many crevices in the castle.

"What?" She snapped at him and yanked her arm from his grip, staying as far as she could from him in the limited space.

"Firstly drop the attitude please, it's not needed. Secondly, we are going to talk about last night and why you are avoiding anything to do with it, including me."

"I don't know what you're going on about Malfoy."

"I said drop the attitude." He frowned at his Mate.

"Why, you drag me out of the wedding to talk about something that doesn't matter."

"It does matter and you know it."

"Okay for arguments sake let's say it did, why do we have to talk about it?"

"Because evidently you weren't as ready as you pretended to be."

"Well, you seem like the expert on when I'm ready for things like that so please go on."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Why go through with last night then live to regret it?"

"I don't regret it." She whispered staring at the floor.

"You don't?"

"No, I made a choice and I stick with it."

"Then what's the matter?"

"I know this is going to be a shock for you but I'm scared and still don't understand this connection! And last night I took a big leap into a situation I find myself in now and am unsure about it. I don't like that. I'm know-it-all Granger, remember? And I don't know this. I'm scared."

"Don't be." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't." She pushed his hand away.

"Look." He sighed and let his hand be pushed away, "Its okay, hundreds of people go through this. It's fine to be scared. Just please talk to me about it instead of giving me the cold shoulder because…that hurts me. I want to be there for you. I want you to talk to me and trust me to be there at times like this when you're scared. I'm here for that. Okay?"

"But you don't understand!" She cried, "You think this is brilliant. You think this is everything because of who you are in this…relationship. But me…I don't know. I mean…I kind of understand that this is my life now. Being your Mate which means I have no choice in this or my future. I had a planned future and now it's gone. I don't know what to do anymore. I didn't want this."

"You don't want this? You don't want me?" He stepped out into the corridor.

"That's not what I meant!"

"You hate me?"

"No!"

"I understand. You have plans and I don't fit into them." He swallowed, "You don't want me." And he walked off back into the wedding.