Disclaimer: If it were mine, the crapilogue would have never happened. Enough said.
A/N: Enjoy!
Loving Vows
"I'm exhausted!" Hermione said as she dropped the bags she was carrying on the loveseat and walked over to Harry and sat down on his lap.
Harry smiled and leaned back against the sofa, bringing her back with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and just let her cuddle for a few minutes. She put one arm around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder.
During the past six months, Hermione had been running around between St. Mungos, The Burrow, and all over London. Mrs. Granger and Mrs. Weasley had been doing a lot of running around also, helping her as promised with every wedding detail. Luna and Ginny had helped tremendously as well and Harry was grateful Hermione had all the help she seemed to need.
He had tried to help as much as he could, but he soon noticed that women were better suited to plan a wedding than men were. Therefore, he did the best he could to help, which included having a hot meal waiting for her when she got home and plenty of back and feet rubs. She seemed more than happy with that. With the help of Mr. Weasley, Ron, and Neville, Harry had help erect a tent and a dance floor on the Burrow's garden where the reception would be held. Professor McGonagall, with the help of Dobby, had made the preparations of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Dobby had been more than happy to help his dear Harry Potter and his beautiful bride-to-be. Hermione had even shrunk some dress robes for him to wear, and after many tears of happiness, Dobby had accepted the gift as a token of her gratitude.
"It's going to be over this weekend, love. And once it is over, I am taking you to the south of France for that holiday you promised me after that whole fiasco with the twins. Don't think I forgot about that," Harry told her.
Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder, a look of disbelief on her face. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am. In fact, I already booked the tickets and we are going to be staying in a villa facing the ocean for two weeks. Your secretary has even cleared your calendar and there will not be any problems with you taking the time off. We leave the night of the wedding."
"Oh, Harry, you are the most wonderful man I know. It is going to be such a pleasure being your wife. I hope nothing ever changes."
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him lovingly. As she kissed him, she turned her body around and straddled his lap. Kissing at home always led to more, tiredness aside, and this time it was no exception.
Later, as they cuddled in bed, Harry turned to her and smiled. "I cooked your favorite today. Do you think you'll have the energy to go down and eat, or do you want me to bring it up?"
"It would be kind of decadent eating in bed, don't you think?"
"What better reason than that to do it? We can even watch a movie while we eat. I really want you to forget the wedding plans this evening and just concentrate on relaxing with me. Go take a quick shower and I'll get things ready."
"You are too good to me, Mr. Potter."
"I love you, is all. I guess it comes natural to take care of you, just like you've been taking care of me for so long."
Hermione kissed him and then he was gone before he was tempted to ravish her luscious body once more. She did as he asked and went into the shower. Twenty minutes later, she was putting a movie in the player when Harry came in levitating two trays.
After Hermione was finished setting up the movie, they sat against the headboard and Hermione looked down at her tray.
"I'm starving and you made all of my favorites. You do know I'm planning on keeping you forever, right?"
"I was hoping you'd say that!"
"Is there dessert for later?"
"There's a bottle of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream in the fridge waiting for you."
"What is it going to top? Cake or ice cream?"
"You."
"Oh."
~*~
"Are you ready, mate? This is it, the big day," Ron told Harry as he adjusted his tie. "You look good."
"Ah, thanks Ron. I'm glad you approve. I think you look better, though. That tuxedo is a huge improvement over the dress robes you wore in fourth year. Black definitely suits you better!"
"Must you always remind me of that? I'll never live that down. My mum has no idea how she destroyed my reputation that year. I must have been the oddest looking bloke in that ball."
"Well, actually, you're still an oddball."
Ron punched Harry's arm. "Shut it, you git."
"If I bruise, I'm sending Hermione after you," Harry said rubbing his arm.
"Going to hide behind her skirt from now on like a little brat, are you?" Ron asked teasingly.
"You better believe it. She does have a delectable backside!"
"Oh, come on, mate. Don't say things like that in front of me."
"You're right for once, Ron. If I ever catch you looking at my wife's bum I'm hexing you to pieces!"
"Yeah, I'm scared now, wonder wizard."
"You two are still at it?" Neville asked as he walked back into the room. "You do know the wedding is going to start in less than ten minutes, right?"
Harry raised his eyebrows. "I'm going to become a respectable man!"
"No, actually, you're still going to be the same insufferable prat. Hermione is just going to be an improvement in your life. She's actually doing you a favor by marrying you."
"Oh, like Luna paying you attention hasn't done wonders for you! If it weren't for her taking pity on your poor soul, you'd be begging witches to go out with you," Harry answered back.
"That's enough, you two. Both of you are acting like gits, but I guess it is all right since you are both nervous. Let's go to the Great Hall. Everything is in place and Professor McGonagall has sent for you," Neville interrupted before their teasing escalated to more.
"Neville is right, Ron, we better go down. Do you have the ring?" Harry asked giving himself one more look in the mirror.
"I have it right here, mate, don't you worry. And you look fine, stop looking in the mirror."
Harry turned back and looked at his best friend. "This is it mate; I'm going to marry the love of my life."
"You're one lucky bloke, Harry. Before we go, there's something I wanted to tell you though."
"What's that?"
"You know I love you, right?"
Harry smiled at him. "I love you too, Ron."
"Good. Now listen up, since I'm only going to say this once. If you ever hurt Mione, or you make her cry unnecessarily, I will hurt you."
"I know, Ron. I'd be the first one knocking on your door so you can beat me. I don't plan on ever hurting her, but I appreciate your gesture. It means a lot to me."
Harry opened his arms and they hugged. Neville smiled at the pair of them and joined the hug.
"Come on then, let's get you properly married, Mr. Potter," Ron said and Harry nodded. They left the room and started walking over to the Great Hall.
~*~
"Oh, darling, you look absolutely beautiful. That gown looks perfect on you. Harry is one lucky man."
"Thanks, mum, but stop before you make me cry again. If Ginny has to fix my make-up one more time, she's going to hex me."
Hermione stood in front of the mirror and she had to admit to herself that she looked lovely. There hadn't been that many opportunities to dress up in her life, and this one was by far the best. Ginny had done her make-up and her hair and she had outdone herself. Instead of the traditional wizarding gown, she had opted for a muggle one and she had no regrets about making that decision now. Even Mrs. Weasley had been impressed by the details on the gown. Ginny had put her hair up, and there were a few loose tendrils framing her face. Her make-up was simple, yet it accentuated all of her best features.
Ginny and Luna looked spectacular in their dresses and she could not be more pleased with the results. They had chosen burgundy, ivory and gold as the main colors of the wedding and the results were amazing. Hermione had the chance to go over everything before getting ready and she was astounded at how good everything looked. Bill and Fleur's little girl, Isabelle, looked amazing in a replica of Hermione dress and she was excited to be the flower girl. Luna and Ginny were dressed in burgundy, their dresses matching Neville and Ron's vests and ties. Harry's vest and tie matched Hermione's ivory gown. Hermione could not wait to see them, since she was sure they all looked drop-dead gorgeous in their black tuxedos.
The Great Hall was decorated with ivory and burgundy calla lilies and orchids. Candles floated overhead and soft music was playing while the guest waited anxiously for what was being called the wedding of the year. Luna had her staff ready to take pictures and interview guest, since The Quibbler was the only news media allowed to cover the event. The Prophet had in fact tried to get into the action, but since they always had something negative to say, their sales had dropped. In The Quibbler's side, it had been the total opposite as sales had increased, since Luna had devoted a corner in the society pages to cover the details of the weeding.
Luna and Ginny finally walked back into the room and stood there looking at Hermione, mouths agape and not a word coming from their parted lips. Hermione had asked them to leave the room until she finished getting ready with her mum's help since she wanted to surprise them. The only one allowed in the room for a while had been the photographer.
"You look absolutely gorgeous," Ginny said as she finally walked over and stood facing Hermione. "Oh, Hermione, Harry is just going to faint when he sees you."
"She's right, you know. He won't be able to pay attention to McGonagall since he's going to be staring at you dumbfounded the entire time," Luna added with her trademark smile in place. "You look stunning."
Hermione's eyes threatened to fill with tears once more, but she blinked them furiously back. "Thank you," she whispered in a broken voice.
Mrs. Weasley walked in at that point and gasped. "My dear child, look at you! You are a vision of beauty," she gushed.
Hermione smiled her thanks while the photographer captured every expression on their faces. At that point, there was a faint crack and Dobby appeared before all of them. He saw Hermione and his eyes filled with tears. Hermione thought he looked so cute in his tuxedo, huge eyes and all.
"Miss Hermione, Dobby has been sent to tell you everything is ready."
"We are ready also, Dobby. We'll be down shortly. And by the way, you look very handsome," she told him with a smile.
"Harry Potter is one lucky wizard, Miss Hermione. He is going to be happy when you walk into the Great Hall. You look beautiful."
"Thank you, Dobby."
"Dobby will go down and let the others know you are coming soon. Dobby is grateful to be a part of Harry Potter and Miss Hermione's wedding."
"We're happy to have you here, Dobby. We love you."
His big, fat tears fell then and he was gone with another crack after bowing to her. Mrs. Granger suppressed a smile. She had seen so many things that were unfamiliar to her by then, that she hardly reacted anymore. She thought it was amazing how well her daughter seemed to fit in with it all. She was also aware of how much the wizarding community appreciated her daughter and how much she was loved and respected by her friends and peers. She'd never felt more proud of her daughter as she did now.
There was a soft knock on the door and Mrs. Weasley went to answer it. Hermione's dad stood there, looking quite nervous and excited. Mrs. Weasley let him in and he stopped as if frozen when he saw his little girl.
"Darling," was all he managed to whisper.
Hermione's tears fell then, and she figured Ginny would forgive her this time. She threw her arms around her father and he hugged her tightly. "Daddy."
He stepped back and looked at her again. "I've never seen you look so beautiful before. You remind me so much of your mother on our wedding day. I'm so proud of you, darling."
"Thank you, daddy."
"Are you ready then? There's an anxious young man downstairs just dying to see you."
"I'm ready."
Ginny fixed her make-up quickly and they all left the room, photographer in tow, clicking madly away.
~*~
"Bloody hell, mate, settle down! Dobby already told you she's coming," Ron said exasperated when he saw Harry checking his watch one more time. He had checked it not thirty seconds before.
"Yeah, just wait until it's your turn, and then we'll see how you handle it."
"Harry, she should be here any minute," Neville said to calm him down. "She'd never miss this."
Professor McGonagall suddenly appeared next to them and took her place. She smiled warmly at Harry. "She's coming. We're about to begin, Harry."
Harry paled a bit, but straightened himself as Neville and Ron patted his back. Soft music started playing and the Great Hall doors opened to reveal Isabelle, flower basket in hand, smiling broadly. She started walking slowly towards them, dropping flower petals as she did so. Luna followed her, smiling serenely, looking beautiful and collected. Ginny followed, and her smile could have lit the room. The doors closed once again while the three reached the front. They took their places and then the music changed. Everyone stood up and Harry took a deep breath once the doors opened again. There stood the love of his life, more beautiful than he had ever seen her, in the arms of her proud father. There was a collective gasp from the wedding guests, followed by quiet murmurs of appreciation.
Even from afar, Hermione locked her eyes with Harry's and her heart swelled with love. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Their day had finally come. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the front and Harry stepped forward.
"I trust that you will love and cherish her for the rest of your days," Mr. Granger told Harry as they faced each other.
Harry nodded seriously at him. "I made you a promise and I always keep them," he told him and shook his hand.
Mr. Granger nodded and turned to face Hermione. "I love you, darling. More than you will ever know. And I am happy you're marrying Harry."
Hermione just nodded and kissed his cheek. She could not speak passed the lump in her throat. Mr. Granger took her hand and kissed it, then placed it on Harry's hand, squeezing them with both of his.
"Love each other," he said and finally turned to go and sit by his wife. When he noticed her tears, he took his handkerchief out and handed it to her. She smiled gratefully at him and he put his arm around her shoulder as they faced the front again.
~*~
Harry looked at Hermione and couldn't help but smile down at her. "You look so beautiful, my love."
"Thank you, Harry."
They turned to face Professor McGonagall and she smiled proudly at both of them. They both noticed her eyes seemed brighter than ever. She turned to the wedding guests and silence finally fell around the room.
"Are you ready?" she asked looking back at them.
They both nodded at her. "I'll go first," Harry said to her. At her nod, he turned to face Hermione.
"Never in my life did I imagine I could be as happy as I am at this moment. I look back at the past fifteen years and there isn't a moment you weren't by my side, supporting me, trusting me, and saving me from myself. I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember, and while it took all this time for us to be together, I pledge to you my undying love, loyalty, and friendship. I love you more than words or actions can even express and I intend to show you just how I feel until the day I die. I am the luckiest man alive because you love me. I am going to be so proud to have you, Hermione Jane Granger, as my wife."
There wasn't a dry eye in the hall at that point, Hermione included. Harry's eyes also filled with tears as he looked at her, all of the love he felt reflected in his bright green eyes. The professor took out a handkerchief out of her formal robes and dabbed at the corner of her eyes. She turned to Hermione and she nodded.
Hermione faced Harry and cleared her throat a bit. Taking a deep and fortifying breath, she smiled at Harry.
"I think I've loved you since you saved me from that troll in our first year!" There was collective laughter at her words before she was able to continue. "I think you also saved me from myself. You have been a constant influence in my life, and while I spent a lot of time bossing you around, you kept me sane and didn't let me go overboard. I am the person I am today because you love me. I love you, Harry James Potter, with every fiber of my being, with every beat of my heart, and with all of the passion a woman can feel for her man. I promise to love you and cherish you for as long as we both shall live. I am so lucky to have you."
Harry lost his battle with his tears and they fell at that point. He squeezed her hands lovingly and his smile could have lit the room.
"Harry, please repeat these vows after me," Professor McGonagall said to him after she had called Ron forward. He handed Hermione's wedding band to Harry and McGonagall proceeded to say the vows. Harry followed suit.
"I, Harry James Potter, take you, Hermione Jane Granger, to be my wedded wife, and I do promise, before Merlin and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live."
Harry then placed the ring on Hermione's finger and kissed the back of her hand. Professor McGonagall smiled and then Ginny came forward and handed Hermione Harry's platinum band.
"I, Hermione Jane Granger, take you, Harry James Potter, to be my wedded husband, and I do promise, before Merlin and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful wife, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live."
Hermione placed the ring on Harry's finger and smiled at him through her tears of joy.
"By the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Harry, you may kiss your bride!"
Harry wasted no time pulling Hermione closer to him and sealing their wedding vows with a loving kiss. Their wedding guests burst into applause. When he pulled apart, Professor McGonagall gave each a hug and a kiss and turned them to face the crowd.
"It is my sincere pleasure and it is with great pride and honor that I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Harry James Potter."
The applause and well wishes that ensued were thunderous.
~*~
A/N: I hope you like this one as much as I loved writing it. It was very sentimental for me since I love these two characters so much. Up next will be the wedding reception and the honeymoon in France. Cheers!
-->