The next two weeks were spent wedding planning with Fleur. Bill was busy at work and any spare moment he had he wanted to spend it doting on his bride. He was clearly a man in love and it was adorable to see.
"How many bands are we seeing today?" Fleur asked.
"Six. They were kind enough to come to the coffee house to A-U-D-I-T-I-O-N," Hermione said. "It will take a while."
She had called in an audition and every magic-knowledgeable wedding band in the country was arriving to perform. Guess they were hurting for gigs.
"It is alright," said Fleur. "I appreciate you arranging this. It nearly slipped my mind."
"That's what I'm here for."
They went into the coffee shop and ordered cappuccinos before taking a seat. Hermione brought out her clipboard, scrapbook, and a small notebook. The first band arrived, as did the second. But they knew this was an audition, which would hopefully prevent a fight from breaking out. The owner of the shop was okay with them holding the auditions there, too.
"Bonjour," said the lead singer of the first band. "Which one of you is Fleur?"
"That would be me," said Fleur. She was wearing her medical mask in public ever since she stepped outside and a neighbor screamed upon seeing her. Hermione thought that people should just learn to deal with it, but she understood her friend's desire to hide. "This is Nia, my Maid of Honor."
Hermione waved.
"Bonjour."
She nodded and waved again. The man looked peeved.
"Bonjour!"
"She's mute," said Fleur.
He huffed and rolled his eyes.
Hermione knew that polite greetings were a French thing and didn't dock it against him. She gestured to the stage and he went to go set up with his band. It was nice this place had a stage. They mostly used it for beat poetry night, but it worked for this too. It wasn't like they could ask Esperanza to perform anyway. They couldn't afford her.
"Please begin with the song we have asked you to prepare," said Fleur. "Then two more of your choosing so we may get a feel for your sound."
Bill really should have been here for this part. Hermione mentioned as much.
"You are the dancer," said Fleur. "If you can dance to it, I will approve."
Fair point. Still, she was recording them so that Bill could have some input.
The first band was alright. The second one dissed "Your Song" by refusing to perform it. The third was pretty good and were performing their last song when the fourth walked in.
Hermione had to do a double-take. Cedric? She jumped to her feet and disappointment dropped into her stomach like a stone. No. It wasn't him. They looked similar, but this guy had brown hair and blue eyes. Pale skin. No scars except one on his lip. The differences were subtle, but there. It couldn't even be him in disguise. It was this country. It was messing with her head.
"Are you the bride?" Not-Cedric asked.
She shook her head and gestured to Fleur.
"Bonjour, please be ready with your set," she said.
Hermione sat down and slid over the note she had been writing. "If all else fails, I can DJ. I did it at the school formal, I can do it again."
"We shall call that Plan B," said Fleur. "Let's finish the auditions."
The fourth band was great. The fifth band didn't show up and the sixth was really good too.
"Thank you so much," said Fleur, reading off Hermione's notebook. "We will think on it and send our decision tomorrow. If you do not hear back in a few days, assume you were not selected. Nia, that's mean to say!"
Hermione shrugged and packed everything up.
"Brutal, but honest," said the guitarist from band #4 who was reminding her less and less of Cedric the more she listened to him talk. "Hope to hear from you anyway."
He winked at her and she remained stony-faced. She put her arm around Fleur and they left to go check out the Temple de L'amour.
"Oh, I knew this would be perfect!" Fleur gushed upon arrival.
The Versailles gardens extended into the pocket dimension and in the center of those beautiful gardens was the Temple de L'amour. It was a stone garden folly done in a Greek style. It was the perfect place for an altar with thin columns that allowed for garland and a beautiful statue of Aphrodite in the center. Fitting since even though Hera was the goddess of marriage, Aphrodite was the goddess of the act of matrimony. The space around it was wide with enough room for about five hundred guests if they filled the complete circle. It was surrounded by a narrow moat that held lily pads and fish, and there were four bridges equidistant around the moat.
Hermione and Fleur walked around the perimeter of the moat trying to decide which would be the best one to set up for the aisle and picked the one in line with the flower tunnel.
"Let's see how it would look," said Fleur.
Hermione waved her hands, casting the illusion spell. It was rudimentary placeholders. No different from setting up flags, but it would give them an idea of where to place everything. She made a simple arbor at the beginning of the bridge. The real one would have gossamer curtains to conceal the bridal party. The only way to get to the temple was through a flower tunnel. The entire area was surrounded by tall trees. A little magic would get everything blooming by the wedding day, so they weren't concerned about how bare it looked. Viktor was rather adept at greenhouse spells and could keep them comfortable.
There was a private space just off to the side for them to have the reception. As it would be dark by the time the reception began, they planned to hang paper lanterns.
For now, Hermione made imitation chairs in neat rows and then mannequin-like figures at the temple itself. Six people on the bride's side, seven on the groom's, mirroring each other on the steps, a flower girl and ring bearer, a bride, a groom, the officiant, and the translator.
Fleur hummed and scrutinized it, making Hermione move a few things around.
"Yes, yes. This is perfect." She brought out orange flags and stuck them into the ground. They had permission to mark places so they could return for measurements and eventually set up.
Fleur walked down the aisle, humming happily. Hermione let her imagine her wedding day and maintained the illusion until her friend returned. Fleur spun around happily and hugged her.
"I'm so excited! It's still early, I think we have time to stop by the flower shop. They said there was an issue with the flowers we picked for the arbors."
"Just no roses," said Hermione.
"Of course not," said Fleur. "It may be my day, but you're my Maid of Honor."
Hermione smiled and draped an arm across her shoulders as they headed back into town. The florist was still open and the owner was overly nice to Fleur. A lot of people were, though when speaking they never looked directly at her. That hurt Fleur's feelings.
"Again, I'm so sorry, but the flowers you selected for the arbors are unavailable," he said. "Evidently, there was a weather incident and the plants themselves were destroyed."
"That's terrible," Fleur gasped. "But it's alright, we have alternatives ready."
"We always have a lovely selection of roses."
"Oh, no roses," said Fleur. "My Maid of Honor is allergic to them."
On cue, Hermione sneezed and accepted a spare medical mask from Fleur to block out the pollen.
"We can make peonies or dahlias work. Do you have those?"
"Yes, mademoiselle, but I do not think we have enough for both the garlands and the aisle bouquets." He bustled around and brought out various flowers for her to look at. "We could supplement it with more dusty miller or…"
Hermione brought over a strange flower.
"Ooh!" Fleur took it and examined it. "It almost looks like a rose."
"Ah, the erlicheer!" said the florist. "I don't know why I didn't think of it. But I still don't have enough."
"Charm them pink and put them with white dahlias," Hermione wrote. "Fill in dusty mill and ivy. Charm ivy gold."
"Good idea, Nia," said Fleur. "And then we can use the peonies for the aisle bouquets. We'll space them differently to stretch them farther. Will that work?"
"Yes, mademoiselle." He jotted the notes down. "I will pass this along and will have everything ready for inspection two days before. We use everlasting bouquet charms, so they will be fresh through the wedding and then some."
"Thank you very much!" said Fleur. "Nia will be checking in on that for me as I will be busy hosting relatives."
The florist smiled. "I remember when you were just a little girl, wreaking havoc on the village. You could bat your eyes and get everything for free." He looked at Hermione. "The young boys all had crushes on her. Some would pull on her hair or hit her, but they soon regret it. I think they are still terrified of her to this day."
Hermione smiled.
"Well, I'm closing up now, but I will have them ready on the 26th even if I have to work through Christmas."
"Thank you very much, monsieur." Fleur linked her arm with Hermione's and they left the shop. "I think we are well ahead of schedule. We can rewatch the auditions with William after dinner."
Hermione nodded and patted her camera bag.
They made it back to the Delacour house just after dark. Charlie was the first of the family to arrive for the wedding and would be joining them for dinner. Bill was like a puppy. It definitely wasn't the Veela allure making him act so dopey, either. That usually caused glazed eyes and an inclination to agree with anything. Or in extreme cases a sexual reaction. Bill just really wanted to be around her and kiss her and hold her in his arms. Hermione pretended she wasn't bitter. Fleur deserved all the happiness in the world, she didn't need her best friend feeling bitter about it.
"Alright, beautiful, tell me how your day was," said Bill.
Hermione helped Apolline set the table while the bride and groom flirted and acted all lovey-dovey on the couch.
"Are you doing alright, Nia?" Apolline asked.
"I'm fine," she signed. "Long day."
"You work too hard."
Probably, but if she stopped now she would fall into a pit of despair and be unable to drag herself out again.
"Dinner is almost ready if everyone will get their drinks?" said Bastien.
Hermione accepted a glass of wine and sat down in her seat. "When will the kids be home from school?"
She was glad Apolline knew sign language. French sign was still different from the sign she knew, but similar enough that she wouldn't have to rely on her notebook all the time.
"Tomorrow," she said. "I am so happy you have been helping Fleur. I am sure you know this, but Veela do not have many friends who are women."
Hermione nodded. "I like being her friend."
Apolline smiled.
Fleur sat beside her as dinner was placed on the table.
"All this wedding planning brings back memories," said Mrs. Weasley. "And helping Fleur is giving you good practice for your own wedding, Hermione."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Well, don't give me that look," she said. "You're a bit rough around the edges, but you're a very pretty girl. I'm sure you'd be able to find a man. Why, Charlie is still single."
Charlie choked on his wine. "Mum!"
Wow. Hermione shook her head and spooned some vegetables onto her plate. She was sure this conversation was more to pressure Charlie into settling down with someone.
"What? I can't make a comment?"
"Well, Nia is probably the closest to Charlie's type as any woman would get," Bill teased. "She likes dragons, she collects shiny things, she can breathe fire."
Charlie was blushing furiously. "I don't want to date anyone!"
"Well, you probably just haven't found the right girl yet! Of course, there's also Fred to consider. He's still sweet on Hermione, isn't he?" Mrs. Weasley mused.
Hermione finished writing in her notebook and slid it over to Fleur.
"Nia says: I have more to worry about than finding a partner," Fleur read. "And I would be more likely to date a woman again. However, if a man can take my hand, look me in the eye, and I don't want to hit him, I will consider it."
Her friend paused and read the note again to herself silently, before falling into a fit of giggles. Hermione grinned—though it probably came off more like an Aardman grimace—and ate her dinner. Mrs. Weasley seemed disappointed and dropped the subject. Perhaps she was bored. After all, she was here, all children in school. She had Sirius and Remus to talk to, but they didn't quite seem the best of friends. Perhaps because she was willfully ignorant about their status as a couple.
After the meal and the dishes were cleaned up, Hermione set up the recordings of the bands on the mirror. For lack of anything else to do, everyone gathered around to watch and listen to them.
"We had better start practicing our dance," said Fleur.
"Ah, right." Bill looked slightly embarrassed. "I mean… we're just swaying, right?"
"You can't dance?" Hermione asked.
Fleur patted Bill's chest. "Don't worry mon chou, Nia is a wonderful dancer, she can create an easy choreography."
Hermione thought that would be the case and nodded in agreement.
"I like the last two," said Bill. "Maybe the fourth one better? They seemed more upbeat. Fun to dance to."
"Yes, that's just what I was thinking," Fleur agreed.
"Band 4, final answer?" Hermione asked.
"Final answer," Fleur and Bill chorused.
Hermione brought out a clean sheet of paper and wrote a letter to the band. She could send it along with Stephen Squawking, who had showed up the other day, no doubt keen to follow her still. He was currently staying in the owl house in Sirius' backyard. He was an easily spotted bird. Maybe she shouldn't… but she would hate to keep him locked away. That was animal abuse. But he was also an invasive species. But she fed him regularly and he didn't typically hunt prey preferring fruits and nuts, he still enjoyed meat once in a while.
This was a difficult issue and not really one she was in a headspace to weigh the morality of. She glanced at the clock.
"I'm going to turn in," she said and got up. "We have a meeting with the O-F-F-I-C-I-A-N-T tomorrow."
"Yes, I remember," said Fleur. "We will have dance lessons when William returns from work and before dinner."
Hermione nodded and gathered her things then put on her headphones. She listened to "Your Song" on repeat, thinking of choreography to go with it. Bill and Fleur could sway of course, but Hermione suspected Fleur wanted an excuse to spend time with her fiancé without nosy parents interrupting them.
She sensed someone come up behind her and whirled around in a fighting stance, fists crackling with energy.
Draco held up his hands in surrender. Hermione lowered her hands and kept walking. He walked beside her, but didn't say anything. Once in the house, he went to his room and she went to hers.
Hermione changed into her pajamas—shorts and a tank top—and sat down at her desk to fill in her diary. It had evolved from what it used to be when she started it. She still pasted in polaroids she took that day, but had taken to writing lists of what she wanted or needed to do, quotes from books she read and liked, things she picked up and thought were pretty or interesting. It was basically a scrapbook that she continuously filled in. Of course, she had her scrapbooks as well.
She had to keep her hands moving.
Closing her diary, she rested her elbows on the desk and dug under her collar to take out her wooden pendant. She twisted it and slid it open to reveal Cedric's picture. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.
'Why didn't you come home?' she thought, tracing the edge of the locket with her thumb. 'Where are you?'
Picture Cedric just kept smiling at her. He was so young there. She had been too when it was taken. That day… Maybe that was when she started falling for him. Slowly. Bit by bit. The knowledge that he would stand up for her had warmed her heart. Of course, she just as easily could have fallen for Harry for that same reason.
When she started to close the locket, Cedric's eyes widened imploringly and he braced a hand against the frame. She had a hard time saying no to him, didn't she? She unclasped it and set it open against her jewelry box so he could see her while she started her bedazzling project.
A knock came at the door and Draco walked in before she responded. He started to speak and saw what she was working on.
"Is that a bra?" he asked, incredulously. "Why would you bedazzle that?"
She looked at it and back at him. It was a bustier. So what? Selena wore bedazzled bustiers; it was for the bachelorette party.
Draco shook his head. "Never mind. Do I have to join the bachelorette party?"
"It's in P-A-R-I-S," she said.
He thought of how far it was and made a face. "So I'll be sick the whole time you're gone."
"Ask F-L-E-U-R if you can go." She adjusted the magazine she had propped open and continued bedazzling.
"Fine." He closed the door and left.
Hermione worked until everyone was home and had gone to bed. When the house was too quiet for her to continue puttering around without disturbing anyone, she brushed her teeth and climbed into bed. Her exhaustion hit her and she was asleep almost instantly and she dreamed.
Hermione ran to class and burst into the room.
"You're late, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall. "That's the seventh time this month."
"I—"
"I don't want to hear it. Where's your maths homework?"
She bit her lips. Brenton had stolen it that morning and wrote his name on it. He threatened her if she told. She glanced at his seat. Tom Riddle swiped a finger across his throat.
"I forgot it," she said.
"Again? It seems the school board was mistaken in bumping you up two years. If you want any sort of future, you would do well to take your education seriously. That's detention. Take your seat."
Hermione raced to her desk and sat down. The words on the board shifted and floated to something she couldn't understand.
"Mimi?"
She looked at the desk next to her to see Cedric. Seven years old, round-faced and his bandaged knees hanging off the chair.
"Why'd you leave?" he asked.
"I didn't. I'm right here." She reached towards him.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The light faded from his eyes and he fell out of the chair, tiny and pale. Crying out, Hermione jumped up to get to him and found herself stooped over Marietta.
"Etta!" Char wailed and clutched onto her best friend.
A green light washed over her and she was still. Hermione jumped to her feet to find herself in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. The lifeless bodies of everyone she knew and cared about were strewn around her. Tom Riddle stalked towards her, his face morphing and dripping as if it were made of wax.
"You didn't do enough," he sneered.
"Finish me off, then," she spat.
"Oh, no. I think I will leave you with their blood on your hands," he said and strode away, leaving her in a sea of carnage.
Hermione sat up, cold and sweaty. She pulled her bonnet off her head and kicked the covers back. She wasn't training hard enough. She changed into her athletic gear and went down to the training room. She needed to train more, she needed to study more. She wrapped her hands and stretched before jumping into her routine. She lifted hand weights and did pull ups and ran on the treadmill until she thought her lungs were going to burst.
When sunlight filtered into the windows, she moved on to the training dummies.
"Nia?"
She pointed her scythe at Remus and lowered it. His face was pale and he trembled slightly. Full moon. He had just transformed.
"Why were you up so early?" he asked. "Are you alright?"
Hermione collapsed the scythe and stuck it in her pocket.
"You shouldn't work yourself so hard," he said.
He just didn't get it. Hermione went over to her water jug and took several long gulps.
"Hermione."
She looked at her former teacher.
"I know you are blaming yourself for Marietta's death," he said. "But it's not your fault. You didn't bring Death Eaters into the school, you didn't cast the spell. You can't save everyone."
But that was the whole point of maintaining the bond! So she could. Hermione stared at her shoes.
"Be kind to yourself, Nia," said Remus. "Do you want to come with us to pick everyone up from the train station?"
She shook her head. When he left, she went upstairs to change and ready for the day before going to the Delacours' for breakfast. One week until the bachelorette party. Family and friends would be arriving in the interim.
The meeting with the officiant didn't take too long. Mostly just selecting the type of ceremony it would be. Non-religious, magic-based. Fleur and Bill decided to not write their own vows, after both attempted to do so and said words couldn't adequately describe the love they felt for each other. Plus it was stressful and they already had enough to worry about.
Hermione already sent a letter to the band hiring them and telling them the time and date. As it turned out, they were local and often played at the bistrot. Which meant that she could check with them the day before for the other songs Fleur wanted them to rehearse.
The hotel arrangements were being handled by Bastien, Esperanza sent pictures of the completed outfits, and they confirmed the head count with the caterer.
"I don't know how I would do this without you, Nia," said Fleur.
"You'd manage."
"Yes, but I don't think I would be having this much fun."
They went to Sirius' house to wait for that day's arrival. Mrs. Weasley and Apolline were already baking and cooking for a huge welcome home dinner, so Hermione and Fleur helped food prep and clean dishes as needed. When Draco came downstairs, Hermione asked him to help too, much to his irritation.
The front door opened.
"We're home!" Sirius called.
Mrs. Weasley rushed into the living room and fussed over her children.
"Where's Percy?" she asked.
The door kicked in. A hassled Percy entered, flanked by Fred and George.
"Prepare for trouble!" said Fred.
"And make that double!" said George, posing.
"No trouble from you two!" Mrs. Weasley warned. "I won't have you ruin your brother's big day!"
Hermione entered and waved at her friends.
"Hey, Nia!" said Harry, giving her a big hug. He stepped back and patted her shoulders. "You've gotten buffer."
"You are taller." She patted the top of his head. They were about the same height now. Ron still towered over them both.
Fred and George smushed her into a sandwich and kissed her cheeks. She let them.
"You alright?" asked Fred, furrowing his brow. "This is normally when you smack us for being in your personal space."
She took out her notebook. "I doubt I could stop you."
They didn't ask about the notebook. They were probably told already. Good. She was tired of people being hung up on her mutism.
"Oh, well, it is good to see you," said Fred earnestly.
She knew that look. Why was he hung up on her? Lack of options?
"You too. Both of you," she said and accepted a hug from Ginny. "How's school?"
"It's great!" said Ginny. "I mean. I loved Hogwarts and I miss Luna more than I can say, but I'm part of the Quidditch Club and they want me to play for them in the spring."
"I'm on the dueling team," said Harry. "I'm learning a lot, and even though I'm new I made the team, and we've got competitions when we get back and Ron's doing very well in the Ancient Runes club."
"Nerd!"
Ron snorted and swatted at her. "Ancient Runes just clicks for me. I'm barely passing my other classes."
"Make any friends?"
"Yeah, this girl Leonda from S.A.M.B."
"Leonda Morris?"
"She'll be happy to hear you remember her," said Ginny. "Harry and I joined the S.A.M.B. organization at Beauxbatons. Most of the members are M.B.s and… well, it kinda made us realize how exclusive Hogwarts was. There's vampires, werewolves, veela, Leonda is a Mami Wata, I think."
"Yes."
They were supporting her organization. That made her happy.
"We're working on a letter-writing campaign," said Harry. "Calling for anti-discrimination laws."
"Glad to hear it."
"Dinner is almost ready," said Apolline. "Pick a seat."
Draco came down the stairs, Ron and Harry jumped.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Ron demanded.
"Ron! Be nice!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.
"Haven't you heard? I'm part of the Order," said Draco blandly.
"Are you having me on?" said Harry.
"Of course. I would never join the Order. I'm on Nia's team." He strode into the dining room to take his seat.
"He owes her a life debt," said Fleur. "Until he saves her life or thirty years of service."
"So he has to do whatever you say?" Ron asked, eyes gleaming with possibilities.
"Technically. I'm not humiliating him for your amusement." Hermione went to take her seat.
"It'd be funny, though."
Draco sent him a nasty look.
Dinner was excellent and the company was good.
"Saturday will be William's and my parties," said Fleur. "My party will spend all day in Paris. We are… what did you call it, Nia?"
Hermione flipped to the correct page and tapped it. "Shenanigans, ballyhoo, vibing, and chilling."
"Yes," Fleur continued, reading it aloud. "So far it will be the bridespeople, but I also invited Alejandro, Cássia, Quripuma, and Blaise. I have made good friends with them." She looked really happy to be stating such. "The rest of the party will be arriving Wednesday and Thursday."
"Mind if we tag along?" asked George. "I'm always up for shenanigans."
"I'm more of a tomfoolery bloke, but I can make due with ballyhoo," said Fred.
"Of course," said Fleur. "However many will fit in Nia's car. There is just one rule."
"Tart up," said Hermione, showing the table.
"What, even the boys?" asked Harry.
"Duh."
"What about your party, Bill?" asked Fred.
"Cecilia said she hired a magician," said Bill.
"A sexy magician?"
"Er, no. I hope not."
Hermione carried her plate to the sink to rinse it off.
"Just leave it, Nia," said Apolline. "I will take care of it."
"Okay. Goodnight."
She headed upstairs.
"Is she okay?" Ron asked. "I mean… she's never stopped talking entirely before."
Hermione stopped to listen.
"It has been difficult," Fleur admitted. "For five months she was stalked, harassed, and threatened by those Death Eaters. They even found her at the Hearthstone. One challenged her to a duel, won, and we have not seen trouble since."
"Yeah, that's our Nia," said Fred. "Kicked Death Muncher butt!"
"He probably went crying home to his mummy," Harry laughed.
"No, he didn't," said Draco. "He's dead."
"Dead?" Ginny repeated.
"The duel was to the death," said Fleur. "She did what was necessary. They would have kept coming. I am comforted to know she would do anything to protect friends and family. I will feel safe on my wedding day."
"I can't really imagine her killing anyone," said Ron. "Was it… I mean…"
"That's quite enough of that!" interrupted Mrs. Weasley, sounding close to tears. "I won't hear this sort of talk. I can't. There will be plenty of it when Mad-Eye and Kingsley arrive next week."
Hermione went to her room and hid herself away.