A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! Huge thanks to lanamarymack for alpha/beta reading this chapter. You can find me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates, and answer questions.
Please let me know what you thought about chapter twenty-eight and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-nine soon!
Hermione's desire to sleep away the rest of her summer went unfulfilled, much to her disappointment. Appearances had to be kept up and that meant the Malfoy wedding was going to be held as scheduled , with a radiant smile affixed to every face. She couldn't be sure, but Hermione thought that probably only Narcissa and Druella's were genuine.
Walburga was at least coming around to the idea of celebrating this wedding, if only because she was enjoying dressing Hermione up so much. At the final fitting she took her time going over all the fine details, making sure the dress fit immaculately. "After all, it's your first official occasion as a Black," she'd said, fighting her smile. "And you want to make a good impression on the Lestranges as well."
Hermione didn't entirely know what to make of being Hermione Black all of a sudden. It was surprisingly lovely to be so welcomed by Orion, Walburga and Regulus, but at the same time she felt a bit guilty when she knew how bitter Sirius still felt about his family disowning him. And, she didn't love the idea of erasing Hermione Granger. Only, she supposed she was going to be taking another name in less than a year, so what did it really matter.
On the big day, she and Walburga got ready at Grimmauld Place, instead of with Narcissa, but she did not think too much of that until after they arrived at Malfoy Manor. Originally, she had thought it was just because she was just there as a stand in, meant to round out the bridal party because Andromeda was not welcome. However, Hermione was furious to learn that the real reason she hadn't been asked was because Bellatrix was still standing in her sister's wedding.
Hermione silently seethed while she waited in the conservatory with the rest of the party, wondering how the Blacks could continue to treat Bellatrix as one of the family after all the trouble that she'd caused! Poor Alphard had been disowned for leaving galleons to Sirius and been blasted from the tapestry... surely what Bellatrix had done was worth being blasted off.
Narcissa had selected white dress robes for both her and Bellatrix (some superstition about confusing evil spirits of who the actual bride was), so seeing her, practically the embodiment of evil, in pure snowy white felt like a slap in the face. The inky black Dark Mark was stark against the skin of the forearm, though Hermione was certain she'd cover it up before the ceremony began.
Standing around in the conservatory, while guests mingled out on the manor lawn, was the first time that Hermione got to meet Lucius Malfoy as a young wizard and she couldn't deny the nerves that twisted in her stomach. As his blue eyes swept over her form, she once again had the sudden worry that he might see through all of the careful half-truths that the Blacks had provided the rest of the world about who she was. Or had Narcissa told him herself?
He looked as arrogant as Draco always said, his blond hair slicked back while he joked with his two groomsmen — Evan Rosier and Gareth Greengrass. To her great surprise, it was Rosier who was the first to actually acknowledge her presence.
"So this is the witch that bested my cousin?" he asked with a smirk that matched the cruel one Bernie often wore. "I expected her to be a little bit more...formidable."
"She hardly looks like she could hurt a fly," Greengrass said, with a laugh. "Did Bernie really lose to you?"
Unable to help herself, Hermione jutted her chin in the air proudly. "Yes, and if he knows what's good for him, he won't try it again," she said with a sneer.
"Come now, Hermione, you shouldn't be dueling with Bernie. We're all friends here," Lucius said, pursing his lips together.
"Then Bernie should learn to keep his hands to himself," she said with a tight smile. "And then I won't have to remind him. I've done it once before. I don't mind doing it again until the message sinks in."
Evan took a step closer to her, until there was scarcely a step between them. His fingers played with one of her loose curls. "How can you expect him to keep his hands to himself? You are rather beautiful, you know," he said.
Bellatrix, surprisingly, came to her rescue. She stood behind Hermione, her hands on her bare arms. "Tsk, tsk, Evan, Hermione is off limits. Or haven't you heard?" she asked, her voice almost like the baby voice she used in Hermione's memories. "She's marrying Rabby for me."
"Rabastan?" Evan asked, startled. "I didn't know that your families had smoothed things over."
"Hermione was only too nice to swoop in and pick up the pieces for me after Rodolphus and I called things off. And the Lestranges were too happy to swoop her up. She's very impressive, after all," Bellatrix added. Hermione's stomach turned, wondering if Bellatrix was complimenting her or making fun of her. She walked around her so that she could look Hermione in the eye. "Though, I am sorry that you have to settle for Rabastan instead of Rodolphus."
"Oh really? Why's that?" Hermione asked. "Seems like you didn't want Rodolphus either."
Bellatrix laughed, all attention on her. "I don't think that any wizard can compete with the Dark Lord," she said, indulgently. "But, Rodolphus is still a worthy prize. Rabastan is young and doesn't have the same sort of drive as his older brother. He doesn't have the same ruthlessness that you really need to get ahead. And, he's not his father's heir."
"Rabastan...he and I are familiar," Hermione said, feeling the inexplicable need to defend the match — and to defend Regulus for suggesting it. "Rodolphus and I are not."
"If that's what you are looking for in a relationship," Bellatrix said, shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose it's the best that you can hope for, anyway. You've come quite a long way since you showed up on the doorstep of Grimmauld Place, haven't you?"
"I didn't ask for this, Bellatrix," she answered, biting her lip to keep from saying what she really wanted to say. "I'm just doing as I'm told."
Bellatrix patted her cheek. "That's a good girl," she praised her, before turning back to the three wizards. "So hands off, Rosier. We can't go angering the Lestranges a second time, can we?"
Her warning received, the four of them stood around laughing with each other, like they didn't have a care in the world, until it was time for the ceremony to begin. Lucius walked to the front where the officiant was waiting first, before Bellatrix was escorted down the aisle by Rosier. A chorus of whispers followed her all the way down. Hermione walked in with Greengrass next, and the whispers did not die down for her either.
A resplendent Narcissa was presented by Cygnus, wearing extravagant white robes that made her look as pretty as a princess. Suddenly the white dress that Hermione was wearing did not feel quite as bridal as it once had. The whole wedding was completely over the top — flowers on every available surface and more guests than Hermione could count — but Narcissa was certainly the most opulent of all.
Hermione could not find it in herself to pay attention to the ceremony itself. There was something about Lucius and Narcissa exchanging vows of love that turned her stomach. Instead, she let her eyes scan through the crowd, looking to see who was there. The Minister of Magic had come, as had the Supreme Mugwump. Hermione noticed several members of the Puddlemere United Quidditch Squad as well as representatives from most of the major Pureblood families — even including two people who she suspected were James's parents.
She did not see Voldemort there, though to be completely honest, she didn't have much of an idea of what he would have looked like in this time. Surely not like the snake-faced monster that she'd seen before she was pulled back in time. But, the Black family and the Malfoys surely couldn't have been so stupid to invite him knowing the kerfuffle it would undoubtedly cause.
Her eyes stuttered when she saw Rabastan sitting with his father and brother, staring at her with awe in his pretty blue-green eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, but she quickly looked away, not wanting anything to do with him. She knew that she couldn't avoid him forever, but she was determined to do it as long as she could.
Once the bonding was complete — Narcissa now officially Narcissa Malfoy — the party broke for dinner. Hermione was seated with her immediate family, joined by Arcturus and Melania, who gushed over how beautiful Hermione looked. "The white suits you, dearest," her grandmother said, pleased. "I can't wait to see you in your own bridal attire next year."
She gave Melania a tight smile. "It's so far off, it's a bit hard for me to imagine," she said, diplomatically, not wanting to purposefully put a bad spin on the evening.
Across the party, she noticed that Rabastan was making his way to their table. Hermione felt the urge to run away, not wanting to have to pretend like everything was fine and dandy with him just because they were in a public place. Standing abruptly, she made her excuses. "If you don't mind, I might get some fresh air," she said, before bolting away from the table.
Hermione walked back towards the Manor, weaving through all of the guests who had shown up to celebrate the happy couple. Suddenly, she was overcome with the desire to leave this whole stupid event and the future that it spelled out for her. Sirius would understand the absolute insanity of this wedding and the society that she was forced to live in, seeing as he'd lived it himself. He told her about his flat with Remus — she was seriously considering dropping in, even if he hadn't told her where it was exactly.
Just as she was about to apparate away, though, her father caught her by the shoulder. "Going somewhere?" he asked, pointedly. "It's impolite to leave without saying thank you to the hosts. And as a bridesmaid? Think of how it would reflect on the family."
She couldn't help herself from snorting. "It feels like only my actions reflect on the family," she said, feeling surly and mistreated.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, sounding a bit hurt.
"What I mean is that I've agreed to marry Rabastan for the family, because of the mess that Bellatrix created when she became the lover of the Dark Lord! But she is still welcomed to stand up with Narcissa like there was no problem?" she demanded. "But Andromeda can't. No, Andromeda committed too big of a crime — marrying a muggleborn? At least she went about it in the proper way."
"I know that it can be hard to... to understand why we do things, sometimes," he said, though she could see the shame in his face. "I was upset to see Bellatrix welcomed back as well, but Pollux thought that it would cause less gossip if we stood united as a family."
"I agree," Hermione said with a grin on her face. "I think we should be a united family. Reach out to Sirius and let's reconcile."
"Sirius?" Orion blustered, clearly not suspecting that.
"Yes, Sirius. Your son," she reminded him with a frown. "All he ever did wrong was go to live with the Potters for a summer because he didn't buy into the purebloods are better than everyone ideology as hard as you wanted, right? Isn't that magnitudes better than what Bellatrix did?"
"Have you been talking to Sirius?" he questioned, looking at her with concern.
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "I have been and I won't apologize for it, even if that means you disown me, too," she said, feeling far more bold than she ought to. They had been so wonderful to her and she didn't want to be kicked out, but she would if it got Orion to see reason. "I know Sirius, from my time. He's a wonderful wizard — fiercely loyal and whip smart and magically powerful. He's as hurt as you and mother are by this rift, I've seen it. He's just... waiting for you to reach out. To remind him that you do care, that you love him. I know you do."
"It's too much to ask," Orion said, his voice thick with emotion. She could tell that she'd hit a nerve. "Sirius, he's—"
"He's your son," Hermione cut him off. "Your child — same as Regulus, same as me. Please, just reach out. If Bellatrix has a place in this family, then Sirius deserves one, too."
"I don't know if I can do that, Hermione," he whispered, looking at her, concerned.
"We all have to make sacrifices for our family," she told him, purposefully using his words against him to twist the knife. "Please, I didn't ask for that much in my agreement to marry Rabastan. Please, do this for me."
A beat of silence passed between them. Hermione could hear the party in full swing behind them, glasses clicking merrily, calling for Narcissa and Lucius to kiss.
"I'll try," he agreed. "But please, come back to the table with me. We will finish dinner and then we can leave."
Hermione looked at him for a moment, before she softened. "I am trying, I promise," she whispered, surprised by her need to make him proud of her. "I just… it's an adjustment. I'm not ready to… to talk to him. But, yes, I will go back and sit with you until dinner is over."
Orion nodded, understanding. "I am trying, too," he promised, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. "You must understand that this is completely different than what I was expecting."
She smirked at him. "Same," she agreed, feeling like he actually understood where she was coming from.