The Wedding
After all of the misfortunes I have suffered in my life, I thought that my wedding day would follow suit by being disastrous. Don't get me wrong, I hoped against all hope that everything would go smoothly, but I was convinced that something would put a hitch in my special day. In the months, weeks and then days before my wedding, I had resigned myself to be prepared for some kind of misfortune to throw off the perfect planning that I had insured. I could not have been more wrong.
*
I spent months planning my wedding. Harry gave me free reign to do whatever I wanted, cost not important. He said that it was my day and that he wanted it to be everything that I had ever hoped and dreamed. He was involved some; with guest planning and his tuxedo, but that was about it. It wasn't that he didn't want to be involved, it was more a matter of that he wanted everything to be just the way I wanted it. So for eight long months I slaved over floral patterns, seating charts, cakes, bridesmaid dresses, various decorations, and the biggest task of it all: my dress.
It took me almost five months to find that perfect dress. The first time I laid eyes on it, I knew it was the one that I would have to have. It was white, even though I had long since been deflowered, and patterned with miniscule pearls and diamonds around the skirt and train. The top was corset-like with lace down the middle that was encrusted with a trail of small diamonds like the ones on the skirt. At the base of the corset in the back, the dress had a fabric slit that widened to the bottom and the under fabric was lace. The edges of the slit were also encrusted with small diamonds. It was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen and it made me cry the first time I was fitted for it just to know that it was mine. Harry's tuxedo was the traditional black and white, only he wore an ascot instead of a bow tie. The ascot was encrusted with diamonds that matched the ones on my dress.
A week before the wedding Harry and I decided that we weren't going to be intimate again until our wedding night. This was a hard decision to make because we had been sleeping together for three years. I couldn't remember what it was like not to wake up beside him. Harry stayed at our home that we shared with Ron and his girlfriend, and I went to my parent's. We still saw each other every day at work, which made it even harder that we wouldn't go home together at the end of each day. The day I left for my parents' house, Harry and I almost broke our agreement. We met at the door and he gave me a goodbye kiss, but soon it turned into more than a mere kiss. We were passionately intertwined and before I knew it, Harry had me up against the wall, my legs wrapped around his waist for support. Only during a small break for air did we both realize what was about to happen. Harry put me down and I straightened my clothes, grabbed my suitcase and left.
That week was almost unbearable. I missed Harry so much that I could hardly stand it. My bed felt so empty without him beside me and I cried myself to sleep most nights. It feels silly looking back on it, but at the time it was absolutely horrible. The night before the wedding, Ginny and my cousin Alexandra threw the most incredible bachelorette party. They rented out a popular night spot and hired male strippers. We danced, drank and got completely trashed. Lucky for me the next morning Ginny put a Sobering Charm on me so that I was in the mind I needed to be in for the wedding.
*
When I woke up I was more nervous than I had ever been in my life. Time seemed to speed by at an incredibly alarming rate and before I knew it, I was in my dress fully made up with ten minutes to go. Ginny handed me the bouquet and we all lined up. When the music started playing and my father joined me to walk me down the aisle, tears welled up in my eyes. I could hardly believe that I was finally going to marry the man that I loved more than my own life. The doors opened in front of me as my procession of bridesmaids entered and then my father and I were standing at the door, facing the altar. Everyone turned when the wedding march began and suddenly all eyes were on me but the only pair of eyes I cared about seeing me was Harry's. He turned to look at me and I will never forget the expression on his face. He looked as if he was looking at the most beautiful thing in the entire world. There was a mixture of awe, pride and excitement written on his handsome face and before I knew it I was standing in front of him, our hands joining together. I looked into his vivid green eyes and realized that we were both shedding silent tears of joy. He was so incredibly handsome in his tuxedo that I could hardly stand it. Harry has always been gorgeous to me, but something about him in that tux made me want to throw everyone out of the church and make love to him right then and there. I suppressed this urge, however, and soon Albus Dumbledore, who was conducting the ceremony, stepped down and whispered in my ear.
"Hermione, I daresay that you are the most beautiful bride that I have ever seen. I would also wager, judging by the sight of him, that Harry agrees with me completely." He kissed my cheek and resumed his position in front of us.
Our vows were wonderfully touching and sincere. I went first and I will always remember what I said to him because it was straight from my heart.
Harry, I have known you since we were eleven years old. You were my best friend through thick and thin and I knew that I would never in my life be without you. The day I realized I was in love you with you, I knew that we would grow old and grey together. I knew that there is no other man on this earth that I would ever give my heart to. As I stand here before you today, I love you more than I have ever loved another person. I promise to give myself to you wholly, for better or worse, through all of the things that life has in store for us. I swear that I am yours, and yours only, and that I will love you until the day that I die, and after. I love you Harry, so very much.
As I recited those words from my heart, Harry smiled at me through his tears; then it was his turn. I wasn't sure what to expect but I know that his words still ring in my head.
Hermione, I have never had anything that was truly mine. I never knew the love of parents or of family, really. I was sure that I was destined to be alone in this world forever. That is, until I met you. You have been my driving force, my life support for so many years. We were eleven when our friendship blossomed, but my life truly started the day that I counted you as my best friend. We have been through so much together and I know that I never would have survived if it hadn't been for you. Your love has sustained me, has given me life. I haven't been this happy since the day you agreed to marry me. I stand before you today promising you that I would die for you, that my heart as always and will always belong only to you. You are the love of my life, my sun, moon, and stars. You are the air that I breathe and the reason that I wake up in morning. I will never leave your side and I will love you until the sun no longer burns in the sky and all the stars fade out. And even after that, I will still love you.
I was bawling at this point. We both were. We exchanged the rings and Albus pronounced us husband and wife. Harry grabbed me tenderly and kissed me as though he had never done so before. We turned to face the crowd of crying onlookers and walked back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter. At that moment I knew that our life together may not be perfect, but we would be together and that was all that mattered.
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