My own eyes flew open. Sweat poured down from forehead.
I lay shivering and gasping in my warm bed for several minutes, trying to break free of the dream. The sky outside my window turned gray and then pale pink while I waited for my heart to slow.
When I was fully back to the reality of my messy, familiar room, I was a little annoyed with myself. What a dream to have the night before my wedding! That's what I got for obsessing over disturbing stories in the middle of the night.
Eager to shake off the nightmare, I got dressed and headed down to the kitchen long before I needed to. First I cleaned the entire common room, to nervous for breakfast, and then when the others was up I made them pancakes as they bitched to me how I should eat breakfast. I was much too keyed up to have any interest in eating breakfast myself - I sat bouncing in my seat while they ate. I even clock watched and when it was time to change, Ginny pulled me up. "Shower." I nodded quickly and ran into the bathroom.
When done she placed me down in a chair and began with my make up. It was then Luna and Pavarti entered in their french blue bridesmaid dresses. They smiled weakly and I shot them a glare.
"You think you have it bad," I said, grimacing as Ginny turned my head. "Ginny will be working on me all day long."
"Hush." she spoke as Harry entered nodding thoughtfully, conceding that he did have the lesser ordeal. Soon she pulled at my hair and I hissed, "hush." She spoke again. "I swear that's all you can say." I spoke.
Ginny's hair was red fiery hair that was in an elf like hairstyle- it was smoothed into sleek pin curls around her face, which wore a contrastingly businesslike expression. She dragged me past Blaise with barely a "Hey." called over her shoulder. "Your eyes are annoying me what did you do stay up all night?" She spoke.
"Almost." I replied yawning.
She glowered. "I've only allotted so much time to make you stunning, Hermione- you might have taken better care of my raw material."
"No one expects me to be stunning. I think the bigger problem is that I might fall asleep during the ceremony and not be able to say 1 do' at the right part, and then Draco will make his escape."
She laughed. "I'll throw my bouquet at you when it gets close."
"Thanks." I spoke chuckling.
"At least you'll have plenty of time to sleep on your honeymoon, tomorrow."
I raised one eyebrow.Tomorrow, I mused. If we were heading out tonight after the reception, and we would still be heading out tomorrow... well, we weren't going to Boise, Idaho. Draco hadn't dropped a single hint. I wasn't too stressed about the mystery, but it was strange not knowing where I would be sleeping tomorrow night. Or hopefully not sleeping ...
Ginny realized that she'd given something away, and she frowned.
"You're all packed and ready?" she said to distract me.
It worked. "Ginny, I wish you would let me pack my own things!"
"It would have given too much away." she spoke quickly
"And denied you an opportunity to shop."
"You will always be my sister but... it's about time to get over this aversion to new clothes." I sighed and slowly we walked to the dress. "Everyone leave." They nodded quickly and left. Today was the day no one wanted to piss Ginny off.
I glowered groggily out the windshield until we were almost to the house.
"Is he back yet?" I asked.
"Don't worry, he'll be there before the music starts. But you don't get to see him, no matter when he gets back. We're doing this the traditional way."
I snorted. "Traditional!"
"Okay, aside from the bride and groom."
"You know he is nervous about this to, for a vampire." His uncle spoke in a whisper as Harry and Ginny talked.
"Well," I said as we turned into the drive, "I see you got to reuse your graduation decorations." Three miles of drive were once again wrapped in hundreds of thousands of twinkle lights. This time, she'd added white satin bows.
"Waste not, want not. Enjoy this, because you don't get to see the inside decorations until it's time." Ginny spoke
"Since when is the bride not allowed to see the decorations?" I protested.
"Since she put me in charge. I want you to get the full impact coming down the stairs."
She clapped her hand over my eyes before she let me inside the kitchen. I was immediately assailed by the scent.
"What is that?" I wondered as she guided me into the house.
"Is it too much?" Ginny's voice was abruptly worried.
"it smells wonderful!" I assured her - almost intoxicating, but not at all overwhelming, the balance of the different fragrances was subtle and flawless. "Orange blossoms... lilac... and something else - am I right?"
"Very good, Hermione. You only missed the freesia and the roses."
She didn't uncover my eyes until we were in her oversized bathroom. I stared at the long counter, covered in all the paraphernalia of a beauty salon, and began to feel my sleepless night.
"Is this really necessary? I'm going to look plain next to him no matter what."
She abruptly stopped walking. "No one will dare to call you plain when I'm through with you."
"That's because people are scared of your temper and the fact you'll bat bogey hex them." I spoke.
My jaw fell open. I floundered around in my head, trying to remember how to close it.
"Can I help with the veil?" Luna spoke.
"Sure," Ginny said easily. "Done." I nodded and looked in the mirror. "Thank you." I spoke. They smiled.
It was then I heard the music. My knees shook so badly as Harry linked his arm through mine, just as his uncle disappeared.
"Deep breaths, Hermione." Ginny said.
I concentrated on my breathing, counting each movement of my lungs, and stared at the patterns that the light made on the shiny fabric of my skirt. "You look beautiful Hermione so relax." Harry spoke.
"She looks a little sick. Do you think she's going to make it?" Theo spoke.
His voice sounded far away. I couldn't feel my legs.
"She'd better."
Ginny stood right in front of me, on her tiptoes to better stare me in the eye, and gripped my wrists in her hands.
"Focus, Hermione. Draco is waiting for you there."
1 took a deep breath, willing myself into composure.
The music slowly morphed into a new song. Harry nudged me. "Ready?"
"Hermione?" Ginny asked, still holding my gaze.
"Yes," I squeaked. "Draco. Okay." I nodded and slowly we walked
The music grew louder.
"Count to five and follow me." She began a slow, graceful dance down the staircase. I should have realized that having Ginny as my only my maid of honour was a mistake. I would look that much more uncoordinated coming behind her.
A sudden fanfare trilled through the soaring music. I recognized my cue.
"Don't let me fall, Harry," I whispered. Harry pulled my hand through his arm and then grasped it tightly.
One step at a time, I told myself as we began to descend to the slow tempo of the march. I didn't lift my eyes until my feet were safely on the flat ground, though I could hear the murmurs and rustling of the audience as I came into view. Blood flooded my cheeks at the sound; of course I could be counted on to be the blushing bride.
As soon as my feet were past the treacherous stairs, I was looking for him. For a brief second, I was distracted by the profusion of white blossoms that hung in garlands from everything in the room that wasn't alive, dripping with long lines of white gossamer ribbons. But I tore my eyes from the bowery canopy and searched across the rows of satin-draped chairs - blushing more deeply as I took in the crowd of faces all focused on me - until I found him at last, standing before an arch overflowing with more flowers, more gossamer.
I was barely conscious that we were still walking.
All I really saw was Draco's face; it filled my vision and overwhelmed my mind. His eyes were a buttery, burning silver; his perfect face was almost severe with the depth of his emotion. And then, as he met my awed gaze, he broke into a breathtaking smile of exultation.
Suddenly, it was only the pressure of Harry's hand on mine that kept me from sprinting headlong down the aisle.
The march was too slow as I struggled to pace my steps to its rhythm. Mercifully, the aisle was very short. And then, at last, at last, I was there. Draco held out his hand. Harry took my hand and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Draco's. I touched the cool miracle of his skin, and I was home.
Our vows were the simple, traditional words that had been spoken a million times, though never by a couple quite like us. We'd asked Kingsley to make only one small change. He obligingly traded the line "till death do us part" for the more appropriate "as long as we both shall live."
In that moment, as the minister said his part, my world, which had been upside down for so long now, seemed to settle into its proper position. I saw just how silly I'd been for fearing this - as if it were an unwanted birthday gift or an embarrassing exhibition, like the prom. I looked into Draco's shining, triumphant eyes and knew that I was winning, too. Because nothing else mattered but that I could stay with him.
I didn't realize I was crying until it was time to say the binding words.
"I do," I managed to choke out in a nearly unintelligible whisper, blinking my eyes clear so I could see his face.
When it was his turn to speak, the words rang clear and victorious.
"I do," he vowed.
Kingsley declared us husband and wife, and then Draco's hands reached up to cradle my face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above our heads. I tried to comprehend, through the film of tears blinding me, the surreal fact that this amazing person wasmine. His silver eyes looked as if they would have tears, too, if such a thing were not impossible. He bent his head toward mine, and I stretched up on the tips of my toes, throwing my arms - bouquet and all - around his neck.
He kissed me tenderly, adoringly; I forgot the crowd, the place, the time, the reason... only remembering that he loved me, that he wanted me, that I was his.
He began the kiss, and he had to end it; I clung to him, ignoring the titters and the throat-clearing in the audience. Finally, his hands restrained my face and he pulled back - too soon - to look at me. On the surface his sudden smile was amused, almost a smirk. The Malfoy smirk that I had grown so use to. But underneath his momentary entertainment at my public exhibition was a deep joy that echoed my own.
The crowd erupted into applause, and he turned our bodies to face our friends and family. I couldn't look away from his face to see them.
Ginny was the first to hug me and Harry was second but thirdly it was his uncle.
Eventually after the reception we bid goodbye before Draco picked me up causing a squeak to escape my lips as he did so. He smirked and slowly we left to venture forth on our honeymoon.