Chapter 13: "Nice day for a White Wedding." Part 1
"What the hell is this?!" Blaise demanded, slamming the Daily Prophet in front of her. Jacklyn crossed her legs, her arms folded in front of her as she eyed the beaming Harry holding the Qudditch Cup. She scowled and rolled her blue eyes.
"Obviously the Daily Prophet." she said sarcastically.
He growled at her and threw a paperweight across the study. Jacklyn didn't flinch as it shattered against the wall. She merely observed the room around her. Blaise had called her to his home where he proceeded to scowl and curse, taking her to his study. There was bookshelves on each side, spewing with different books. He had a nice dark oak desk with a high backed, leather chair. She sat in the green upholstered one across from it.
"I did what I told you I would do. It's not my fault the team threatened to forfeit if Harry didn't play." she said and began to examine her French manicured nails. She shifted in the green arm chair and Blaise rushed over to her.
He gripped both arms of the chair and brought himself face to face with her. His dark eyes penetrating into hers. She arched one blonde eyebrow challengingly.
"Fix it." he said in a low, menacing voice. She got really close to his face, a dirty look crossing her otherwise beautiful features.
"Why the hell am -I- doing all the bloody work?!" she demanded. He growled and pushed himself off the chair. He paced a bit, Jacklyn's eyes following his every move. They didn't trust each other and were always on their toes. "I have not seen you do a damn thing!"
"Like hell you are doing all the damn work." he said. He looked around his study, as if that might help him with an answer. Then it dawned on him. He turned to her a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"What are you doing two days from now?" he asked. She slowly looked at him and gave him a look.
"Why...?" she asked looking at him suspiciously. He rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"Weasley and Lovegood's wedding you half wit! It's been all over the gossip column's, when it's not about you and that pathetic Sam bloke. Are they really running out of good stories?" he said, smirking at her. He knew that would get under her skin.
Her eyes flashed and she stood up abruptly. She whipped her wand out and held it up to his throat. "Want to continue being a smart mouth?" she said menancingly. He glared back at her and quickly twisted her arm and in a flash had her against the wall, her face pressed against the dark green paint.
"Want to try messing with a former Slytherin again?" he whispered in her ear; his voice dark and low. She scowled and tried to shift from his grasp but he had her pinned pretty well, his much bigger body keeping her lightweight, seeker one in place.
"How the hell do you suppose I get to the wedding. If you haven't noticed, me and Harry are not on speaking terms." she said grumpily, still squirming.
"Leave that to me. I'll get you in. Just make sure you're home and ready to go." he said. She snorted and struggled aggressively but it came to no avail.
"Fine." she muttered. He stayed like that a bit, making sure she wouldn't try anything else before pushing his body off hers. She turned around quickly and Blaise made sure his hand was on his wand. She scowled at him.
"I hate you." she said and then disapparated.
"The feeling is more than mutual." he said to the spot where she stood only moments before.
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"Ugh, since when did my ass get bigger?!" Ginny said, making a face as she turned, getting another angle in the mirror. Her hands brushed over the satiny lilac material of her bridesmaid dress.
"It didn't. It's just the form that these dresses make. Well the material actually, if I want to be specific. They don't have any-" Hermione said, beginning to ramble.
"I get it Hermione. My ass is normal." Ginny said interrupting her. She then stuck her tongue out in a teasing manner. She looked at Hermione who was looking at her dress apprehensively. "Hermione, you look fine."
Hermione looked at Ginny, giving her a small smile before turning back to the three mirrors. They were at the final fitting for their dresses and Hermione was still a bit iffy on the style of hers. It was lilac, like Ginny's, except hers was across across the shoulder, leaving her right shoulder/arm bare. Very Athenian like. It clung to her curves, which she was not accustomed to showing, and trailed behind her slightly.
She turned her gaze to Ginny who was really loving hers. It was a halter, cutting low in the front and even lower in the back. It reached just below the two dimples that appeared on her lower back, the material hugging her bottom. She saw Ginny adjusting her assets and making a face.
"Should I charm them, to give them a bit more umf in this dress?" she asked, moving from side to side.
"They look fine Ginny. " Hermione reassured her. Ginny smirked and nodded her head.
"Draco doesn't seem to be complaining." she said and giggled.
Hermione shook her head and chuckled. They then heard the curtains from the dressing room swoosh open and they turned to see Luna come out in her wedding dress. They both stood there and beamed. It was simple, which had surprised the both of them when they saw her choose it. They were surely expecting something very out there, like the first pair of bridemaids dresses. Rainbow striped with fringes everywhere.
It was strapless and hung slightly loose, to not show her small bump. Her dirty blonde hair was clipped up and Luna grinned at them. The seamstress, smiled at Luna and daintly adjusted the small train.
"Oh Luna! It looks gorgeous!" Ginny said.
"Oh yes it does! Very much so!" Hermione continued.
Luna's smile all of a sudden fell and she looked down at her dress. Her gray eyes looked back up at Hermione and Ginny.
"I look fat!" she cried and burst into tears. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and then rushed to her side.
"Oh no Luna! You don't! You look fine." Hermione said, squeezing her arm reassuringly.
"You look full of life; wonderful!" Ginny said nodding and looked at the seamstress to add on. The elderly woman jumped to her side and nodded her head fervently.
"Yes, my love. You look amazing." she said and gave her a smile. Luna looked at herself in the mirror and then gave a weak smile.
"It's so close to the wedding...I hope Ronald will like it." she said, delicately running her hand on the white fabric.
"He'll love it Luna. My brother, though the idiot he may be at times, is not blind." Ginny said. Luna looked at Hermione and Ginny, in a somewhat bashful manner. Then as if a switch went off, she got her normal dreamy look.
"I would love if we had Snickleers flying around scattering daisies everywhere." she said. The seamstress looked at Luna awkwardly while Ginny and Hermione laughed.
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"Oh boy...Oh boy..." Ron said, his palms sweating and gripping the arms of the chair.
The exotic dancer flipped her long, though Ron suspected it was fake, black hair and began to move her bum along his lap. His blue eyes darted over to Harry, Nigel, Fred and George who were in the corner laughing, holding on to each other. Charlie crossed his large arms over his broad chest chuckling, as Draco sat in the chair across the room elegantly, the infamous smirk across his lips as he watched the uncomfortable Ron.
"Wha' ? Don't like it sweetie?" The dancer asked in her thick cockney accent. Ron swallowed nervously and turned his gaze toward the guys again.
"Luna would not like this..." He said in a high pitched voice.
"Ah come on Ron! She's not even here!" Nigel called out.
The dancer, whose name was Starlight, continued to work against him and then, when she didn't get the response she wanted she sighed and got off him. She began to make her way toward Draco, who arched an eyebrow at her.
"Sorry love, not interested." he said and took a sip from his glass of gin. She pouted and flipped her hair back again.
"What? Am I too much for you?" she asked and looked at him mischievously.
He chuckled and shook his head, taking another long sip. "Darling, I am sure you're not enough." he said.
The Weasley brothers all looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "And Ginny stays with you.." George commented.
Draco's mercurial eyes looked at him, his smirk widening. "She's more than I can handle sometimes." he said, very tongue in cheek. Fred and George's eyes flashed and began to make their way toward him, Draco reached in his black robes for his wand and Harry stepped in front of their path.
"Guys! Hey come on, it's Ron's bachelor party." He said holding his hands up to keep them from moving forward, while casting an emerald gaze at Draco, telling him to not start anything.
Draco shrugged and went back to enjoying his liquor. The twins looked at each other, to Harry, to Draco and then back to each other. They frowned a bit and then went to sit on the couch next to Ron's chair.
"Hey darling, why don't you come over here and try some of that on me." Walter, one of the teams chaser's, said to Starlight. She forced a smile, really wanting to go over to Draco, but it was money and she went over to him.
"So why was he invited?" George asked, glaring over at him.
"He's dating Ginny. We have to get along with him some what." Ron said, finally calming down from being so nervous.
"But we don't have to like him right?" Fred asked, walking over to get some firewhiskey.
"No." Ron said, running hand through his hair, letting out a long breath.
The others looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ron looked at them, jumping at the sound.
"What?" he asked.
"I swear, the way you were acting.. You would have thought it was your first time all over again." Harry said, his eyes shining brightly.
Ron scowled at him as the other's began to laugh harder, including Draco and Nigel, who had came over to talk to Draco. Starlight all of a sudden stood up and was led to the bathroom by Walter. The other's began to wolf whistle and make loud noises.
"At least someone is using her." Charlie commented, receiving another glare from Ron.
"I'm about to get married!" Ron said angrily, taking a shot of his firewhiskey.
Harry shook his head and took a drag from his beer. Harry and the twins had thought it there duty to throw him a Bachelor party. He had been very adamant about not wanting one, but had finally managed to convince him. It was probably the twelfth time that night that he had mentioned Luna. At least it was evident that he was madly in love with her.
Harry stood up and walked over to the window. The other's continued to laugh and joke, teasing Ron much to his dismay.
He sighed and slid open the balcony door. He shut it behind him and looked out at the lights of London. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He began to wonder what Hermione was doing at that moment. He groaned. He really needed to stop thinking about her. She was with Blaise and the way things were going...she probably wasn't going to break up with him anytime soon. Why? Because she was too stubborn to admit that she did in fact, have feelings for Harry that went deeper than just friendship. A breeze picked up and he shivered. A voice, that was usually equally as chilling but at that moment was almost serene , sounded next to him, causing him to jump.
"Thankfully we are going someplace warm tomorrow." Draco said, stepping up next to Harry, leaning on the railing.
Harry turned to him and watched as he continued to look out over the city. He nodded his head and followed suit. "Yea.." he said simply, not sure what exactly to say to Draco.
They hadn't ever really been close.
"I know you were thinking about Hermione." Draco said surprisingly. Harry looked at him startled. Draco turned toward him, arching an eyebrow.
"Don't deny it. Your whole face changes when you think of her." He said. Harry's eyebrows furrowed.
"Well I am so glad that you study me so closely." he said sharply. Draco let a hard look cross his stunning features.
"I was going to help you. Me and Ginny had a plan for the wedding weekend. I guess this is what I get for being the nice guy." he said and got off the railing, deciding to head back inside.
"Can you blame for being so cautious?" Harry said, turning toward his retreating figure. Draco stopped but didn't turn around. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He turned toward Harry.
"I don't. It just gets a bit frustrating when I try to prove to people that I have changed." Draco said. He gave another sigh and leaned against the wall, his gin swirling in it's glass as he held it. "The war changed everyone. Including me. I can't force you to like me. Nor can I make you believe me, but it's the truth."
Harry looked at him, running his words through his head. The war had changed many and it was very possible that it had changed Draco. Harry remembered Draco's warning to him about Blaise. That had been the truth. He hadn't done anything to show that he was anything but genuine in his actions. Maybe he could give him a shot. Harry held out his hand towards Draco.
"I believe you." he said. Draco looked him straight in the eye and then extended his own hand, shaking Harry's.
"Thank you." he said.
Harry nodded and then grinned. "So what's this plan?" he asked.
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Ginny adjusted some of the white Baby's Breath flowers that had been sewn into Luna's long tresses. Ginny looked at Luna through the mirror and grinned at her.
"You look radiant!" Ginny said.
"Absolutely gorgeous!" Hermione said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Luna took a deep breath and grinned.
"I'm so nervous..." she said in a quiet voice.
Ginny and Hermione both gave her hugs. "It's a big step but Ron loves you. And you love him." Hermione said. Saying the words love, tugged at her insides. Harry crossed her mind and she was a bit taken aback. She shook the thoughts from her head, knowing the only reason she was thinking of him was because she had to momentarily walk down the aisle with him.
Luna smiled brightly and they all turned as a knock sounded on the door. Ginny made her way to the door and opened it. Bill stood there, leaning against the door frame. He grinned.
"It's time. Mother can only be entertained by the baby for so long before she breaks down crying again. Fleur is starting to get annoyed." he said. Ginny smiled and nodded, turning toward Luna and Hermione. Luna stood up and grabbed her bouquet.
"Where is father?" she asked. As if on cue, Xenophilius walked passed a surprised looking Bill and into the room. Ginny and Hermione looked at each other wearily as the middle aged man in the bright yellow dress with purple polka dots hugged his one and only daughter.
"Oh you look so handsome father!" Luna said, hugging him her and smiling. She pulled away and turned toward the girl's grinning. "Doesn't he look absolutely smashing!"
Ginny and Hermione smiled nervously and nodded very slowly. "Ye..Yea Luna. Fantastic robes Mr. Lovegood. Me and Hermione need to be getting into the line, see you in a bit." Ginny said while grabbing Hermione's arm along with Bill's and walking out of the room.
"I love how we're going to be related to them." Bill said chuckling as they walked down the hall of the Hall that would soon serve as the reception.
"Tell me about it. I don't think I will ever understand their fashion sense." Ginny said and picked up her dress skirts as they made their way down the stairs and out the double doors. The lawn was filled with white chairs occupied with numerous wedding guests. Many who had familiar heads of red hair. The alter, decorated with white roses, faced the beautiful Pacific Ocean as the Hawaiian Palm trees swayed in the breeze. A beautiful wedding at a beautiful location.
Bill made his way to Fleur who had their baby Victoire in her arms as a sobbing Mrs. Weasley clung to Mr. Weasley right next to her. Ginny began to make her way toward Harry and her brother's Fred, George, and Charlie who were standing by with the rest of the wedding party who were to walk down the aisle. Angelina was adjusting Fred's robes who was trying to give her a kiss while she did so. George was flirting with one of Ginny and Luna's friend, Skylar, who had agreed to participate in the wedding.
Ginny stopped when she noticed Hermione wasn't next to her. She turned as a wind whipped past them and fluttered Hermione's hair and dress. She looked frozen, as though off in her own world. Ginny looked at her confused and called out her name. As though something hit her, Hermione shook her head and turned toward Ginny. She nodded and hurried along after her.
The music sounded and they all got with their respectable partners. Ginny stood with Charlie, being first in the line up. Ginny saw Draco sitting behind his parents, looking at her. He caught her glance and smiled, wiggling his eyebrows. She smirked and blew him a kiss. Fred, who stood third in line with Angelina , made a comment. She whipped her head to look around Harry and Hermione who were second to make a retort when the music sounded.
Hermione stiffened staring straight ahead of her, not looking at Harry. Not that she hadn't looked at him at all, that was what had caused her to stop dead in her tracks. He had looked...amazing to say the least. His black hair nicely ruffled, his bright green eyes staring straight at her intensely, his black robes fitting him perfectly. It was all she could do to not run and jump on top of him.
She was afraid to look at him again; she didn't want to get the same dropping feeling in the pit of her stomach. It terrified her. She saw Ron running his hand through his hair nervously as he awaited for Luna to appear. Hermione felt Harry's hand at her elbow and she gave a jolt. Her brown eyes looked at him wide and she felt as though she could melt right there. He looked back down at her and he felt as though his breath had been taken away.
"Psst, Harry. Hermione. Move." Fred whispered to them. They both snapped their heads to the front and realized it was their turn to begin walking. He took hold of her hand and she was amazed her legs had not given out on her as they began to make their way down the aisle. She was trying to control her breathing and looked for Blaise in the chairs.
When she saw him she was taken aback by the look on his face. It looked almost...hateful..at Harry. He then turned his gaze to her and his expression changed to one of a loving nature. She gave him a weak smile still a bit scared at the look she had just seen cross his face.
Before Hermione realized it they had made it to the front where the Priest and Ron stood. As they parted ways, Harry to stand by Ron and Hermione by Luna, she heard Harry whisper:
"Marry me."
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AN: I know that saying sorry may not be enough for why it has taken me so long to reply. The truth is, my life has been completely hectic. I have been working two jobs, and my dad (who was diagnosed with Kidney Failure) has been going through numerous tests and medical procedures. My mother lost her job so I have been the only income in the family and it's been hard. But I did -not- forget about this story at any point; I just couldn't find the time to type up a chapter. Things have been getting better and I finally managed to get back into the swing of things with my story. I apologize for the long wait and I already have started part 2, which I will post sometime this week.
I hope that I did not lose any fans of this story. I truly do appreciate all of you and the reviews I get. Please bare with me and know that chapter updates may not be that frequent but I will try to get them out asap.
As always read and review!
--GhostOrchidz
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