Chapter Twenty Two
Hermione stood outside the grand building and took a deep, calming breath.
The manor house was huge, and looked like something straight out of a fairy story. It was the perfect wedding venue, that every little girl could imagine Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty getting married in.
Hermione had never really been one of those girls who dreamed about her perfect wedding, not until she'd met Viktor anyway and then there was no doubt in her mind that some day she wanted to stand next to him and say 'I do'.
"I am so sorry I'm late!" Pansy sighed, apparating in and rushing over to give Hermione a big hug, "I was just heading out the door and Jonny spilt his breakfast all over William and the cat got covered in milk… I truly am sorry."
Hermione laughed, waving her hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it. Daphne, Cho and Luna are inside already. Apparently they needed to make sure everything was perfect for me before I was even allowed in."
Pansy nodded in agreement, "Quite right too. How are you feeling?"
"Nervous." Hermione admitted, "But… happy."
"Ok, everything is ready." Daphne chirped happily, all but skipping out the manor, her red, floaty summer dress fluttering around her knees.
Pansy, Daphne, Luna and Cho were all wearing matching dresses, Hermione's dress was the same cut and style but in a soft, white lace rather than the red muslin of the others'.
Hermione took another deep breath and walked confidently into the manor, surrounded by her friends.
She could see why they'd wanted to check on everything before she was allowed in. The place was stunning.
Everything had been covered in fresh flowers, the smell of the lilies and stock filling the rooms. Fresh rose petals, magically enchanted so they wouldn't fade or be effected by people walking over them, led the way up to the bridal suite.
"I… I don't know what to say." Hermione beamed, "Thank you so much. It's… its…"
"Perfect." Luna nodded thoughtfully.
Cho laughed, "Well, you and Viktor deserve it, all of it and more in fact."
Hermione blushed, following the girls up the huge stair case.
The bridal suite consisted of a large room, with a tall, king sized bed and an en-suite bathroom, complete with a jacuzzi bath, more than big enough for four people and a shower equally as large. One wall of the bathroom was covered in a large mirror. Two sinks set against it with rows of toiletries, neatly arranged.
Both of the twin rooms either side of the bridal suite had connecting doors, as well as their own bathrooms. They each held two double beds, meaning in total the bridal suite could easily accommodate ten people, more than enough room for Hermione's comparatively small party.
Hermione walked over and flopped herself down onto the bed, sinking into the pillows. They smelt of fresh air, and clean summer days.
"I think we'll be rather happy here." Daphne said approvingly, "I've already hung up our bridesmaid dresses in our rooms. And Danica will be arriving about half four this afternoon, after her lessons have finished. I've put her in with us Pansy."
Pansy nodded, peaking her head into the two adjoining rooms and nodding in approval. Sure enough in the second one there was three bridesmaid dresses hanging against the huge wardrobes.
"My mum should be getting her later as well." Hermione told them, still in awe at the place.
"I've put her in a room slightly down the hall." Daphne told her, "I figured she'd be more comfortable. I'm not sure where muggles normally stand with sharing rooms but for us it's more traditional for an older woman to have her own accommodations.
Hermione smiled, "That's perfect. Thank you so much for helping with all this. I must admit I was feeling rather overwhelmed."
"Hermione, you have an amazing job as a researcher at St Mungo's but it's not exactly easy. Nor does it leave you with much free time." Cho pointed out, "So we're happy to help."
"So… where do we start?" Hermione asked.
"We're free to get settled in until lunch." Daphne told her, "Then we need to get you primped a little, before afternoon tea. Then into the bath, full scrub and smother you in moisturiser. Next is nails and prep your hair for tomorrow." she grinned.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She'd asked Daphne and Pansy to be in charge of her hair and make-up, instructing them to order her about as much as they wanted to. Every time she thought of being all dolled up, she thought of them.
Daphne and Pansy had been rather excited to accept. They were however having a hair stylist and make-up artist come in the next day to do that bit for everyone. It was one less thing they were going to need to worry about.
And they wanted Hermione's day to be as stressless as possible.
The next morning, Hermione awoke, having slept wonderfully well on the huge bed, although it had left her feeling rather small as she couldn't reach either side, even while stretched out and it was easily two feet longer than she was tall.
"Good morning!" Danica chirped, poking her head around the door, and seeing Hermione was awake.
She raced in, still in her nightgown and jumped on the bed, giving Hermione a tight hug.
Hermione smiled, rolling her eyes, returning the hug, "How did you sleep?"
"Pretty well." Danica said, shrugging slightly, "I've been up for about an hour though. I kept checking to see if you were awake yet."
Laughing, Hermione pulled Danica in for another hug. It was only a few minutes later that Cho and Luna came in, carrying a large trays. One filled with plates of pancakes, the other with cups and two huge tea pots.
Hermione took a deep breath, the smell of the freshly cooked food mixing with strong coffee and making her mouth water.
"Wow! This looks amazing." Hermione smiled, pulling herself into a sitting position and starting to get out of bed.
"Wait!" Luna laughed, "Pansy said you need to have tea in bed. Or coffee in bed and she's scary when she's barking orders around."
Hermione found herself laughing again, "Fair enough."
Cho put the tray of pancakes on the table next to the window before making her way over to the bed and climbing on as well.
"Coffee please." Hermione said to Luna, "Milk, no sugar."
"We have cream if you'd rather have that than milk." Cho said, "I know I prefer it it."
"Ooo yes!" Hermione grinned, "Cream please."
Luna quickly made the cup of coffee, handing it over to Hermione, complete with little saucer. Hermione normally drank her coffee in from a mug not much smaller than her head, but it was nice to be so pampered. And she was sure there would be more coffee later.
"Perfect." Hermione said, "Thank you, Luna."
"You're welcome." Luna replied, jumping up on the bed as well, "It's really fresh. I watched them grind the beans and everything. The house elves here are really nice."
"It's one of the thing I really liked about this venue." Hermione said, "When we came to look round they made sure to show us all the kitchens and everything, so we'd know how well treated all the staff are."
"Ah you're up!" Daphne smiled, coming in from outside, closely followed by Pansy.
Both of them were already dressed in comfortable dresses and had clearly been organising something or other.
"How are you feeling?" Pansy asked, both her and Daphne joining the others on the bed.
"I feel amazing." Hermione said honestly, trying not to cry, "I'm so excited."
"Well your nails survived the night, which is a good start." Daphne grinned approvingly, "The make-up and hair ladies will be here in an hour or so. Oh and your mother is just on her way down."
Sure enough there was a quiet knock on the door as Jean stuck her head in the room, "Is everyone decent?"
"Yep." Hermione called, "Come join us on the bed."
"Goodness are you sure it's safe having that many of you on there?" Jean laughed, coming in and taking a seat on the edge of the bed, next to her daughter.
"Well it is meant for wedding nights." Luna said thoughtfully, "You'd think it would be designed for a lot of pounding and activity."
Silence hung in the room for a moment, before they all burst out laughing.
"Luna!" Daphne gasped with laughter, "Poor Danica is only young!"
"I'm not that young." Danica said knowingly, although she couldn't help from blushing.
Hermione felt her stomach rumble, "I'm afraid the time has come to kick you all off my royal princess bed, because those pancakes are calling my name! I'm starving."
They all ate until they were fit to explode, the dishes magically vanishing once they were all finished.
They had time to change into the comfortable but pretty and elegant dresses and freshen up before the team of hair dressers and make-up artists came in.
Hermione sat back and allowed herself to relax as they smoothed potions and lotions, both magical and not, into her frizzy locks. Twisting the strands round to form perfect ringlets, and locking them in place with a wave of their wands.
There was something wonderfully relaxing about having her hair played with, to the point where she had to fight the urge to simply fall asleep there in the chair.
A few hours later, after various creams had been smoothed over her skin, giving her a luminous glow, dramatic smoky eyes and dark red lips, setting off her pale skin perfectly, she stood, looking in the mirror as her mother finished lacing up her wedding dress.
"You look… stunning." Jean said, blinking and looking up to stop her tears from ruining her immaculate make-up.
"Thanks mum." Hermione smiled, pulling her mother in for a hug.
"I… I saw this day." Jean whispered, "The closest thing I've ever had to magic of my own."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
Jean shrugged, "When… when you were wiping our memories… it was all blurry and…but I saw you and me, standing her, now…"
"And then I made you forget it all." Hermione said sadly, trying not to cry.
"And then you made me remember." Jean said firmly, "You did what you have to and… and I am so very proud of you."
"Thanks mum." Hermione said, pulling her mum into a tight hug.
"Are we ready in here?" Richard said, opening the door and smiling at how beautiful his daughter looked.
"Almost." Jean smiled, "Just the veil to go."
She reached up and placed the veil attached to a pearl covered headband, making sure it flowed gracefully over Hermione's back and shoulders.
"You look perfect." Richard smiled.
Hermione took a deep breath, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She was so excited, so happy she could barely think straight. She wanted to jump and run and skip to Viktor, knowing that, finally, they would be able to start their life together, forever.
Richard took Hermione's arm and led her from the bridal suite. Outside, in the long corridor, stood all the house elves, lined up to give Hermione deep bows as she walked past. The last in the long line of house elves, an old and wrinkled lady dressed in a checked pillowcase dress, handed Hermione a large bouquet of white roses, highlighted with dark greenery.
"Thank you." Hermione smiled, taking the flowers and breathing in the heady fragrance.
They wouldn't last long, but would be beautiful while they lasted.
Down in the main hall, Viktor stood in his bright red lions uniform, facing stoically towards the front, where the registrar was standing, smiling warmly at him.
He was nervous, very nervous, although Viktor would never show it. It felt slightly strange to be using his lions training on his wedding day, making sure that he was still and observant while appearing perfectly calm.
The music started to announce Hermione's entrance and Viktor could feel her heart fluttering in his chest. He could hear the crowd behind him standing for her, knowing she would have her hand in his within a few moments.
Hermione held tightly to her father's arm, mostly to stop herself from running down the aisle. Everything around her felt blurred, she knew she was surrounded by her friends and family. She knew that her bridesmaids were walking behind her, holding out her veil for all to see but she couldn't see any of them.
All she could see was Viktor, standing at the end of the seemingly never ending aisle, waiting for her. For her and no one else.
She took his hand, seeing the relief on his face and wanting to cry with happiness as well.
"Welcome all." the registrar said with a smile, straightening his glasses and opening his script book, "We are here today to join in holy matrimony, Miss Hermione Jean Granger and Mr Viktor Krum. Firstly I would like to welcome Mr Harry Potter up to tell us how these two met."
Harry stood up, unfolding a piece of rather crumbled paper and grinned, "Thank you, sir. Hermione and Viktor first met at the Quidditch World Cup in 1994. Krum had played, catching the snitch, rather wonderfully, to end the game on his own terms. That action sums up both Hermione and Viktor really. They are both stubborn and like to do things on their own terms." he paused to allow the ripple of laughter to fill the room, "I doubt either of them would have realised that just a few months later they would be spending nearly all their spare time with one another… quickly Hermione became Viktor's most important person, as he rescued her from the lake. It was clear from the beginning that these two were meant to be. As Hermione's friend, there is not a single person I think would be better for Hermione, and I wish them every happiness."
Hermione and Viktor clapped along with everyone else, giving Harry a tight hug and thanking him.
"Mr Krum," the registrar said clearly, "do you take Miss Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife. In sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, through good times and bad, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do." Viktor grinned, beaming down at Hermione.
"Miss Granger, do you take Mr Krum to be your lawfully wedded husband. In sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, through good times and bad, as long as you both shall live?" The registrar asked her.
"I do." Hermione smiled, her eyes brimming with tears of happiness, "I do with all my heart."
The registrar took a long length of silk rope and wrapped it round their joined hands, "With this rope, in my capacity as a representative of the Ministry of Magic, I bind you together. Two souls who have committed their lives to be lived as one. Have you rings, to show this binding to the rest of the world?"
"We do." Hermione and Viktor said together.
Daphne stepped forward and handed Hermione one ring, Havelock stepping forward and handing Viktor the other.
Hermione slipped the ring on Viktor's finger before he did the same with her.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." the registrar smiled.
Viktor lent down, finding Hermione's lips with his own.
As they kissed Hermione's white dress and veil turned to snowflakes, floating away and leaving her red dress she'd worn to the Yule ball in it's place.