Chapter 5
Hermione stood in the mirror looking at the reflection of herself wearing a white gown and sighed. This day wasn't something she ever anticipated having. When she lost Fred in the midst of the battle that she wasn't sure she'd make it out of, she lost all hopes of a life beyond misery, but now, she stood here, on her wedding day, ready to get married.
Thoughts of Fred had plagued her mind for the last few weeks in the lead up to the big day. She wondered if he approved, if he would be ok with her choices. If he would be proud of her for being able to move on or if he would be angry that she could love someone else as much as she loved him.
At the sound of a knock on the door, she left her bedroom and looked into the bathroom as she passed, thinking back on the memory of giving birth on those very tiles, 5 years earlier.
"Mummy, come on, we'll be late" came the voice of her son Freddy.
"You're right my love, let’s do this" she said as she took his hand and let him walk her out the front door.
She held her son’s hand tight as they walked down a row of orange trees that had been decorated with silver ribbon.
"It’s pretty" Freddy said.
"It is" she replied, her nerves almost taking her over.
"Are you happy, mummy?" he asked.
She stopped walking and looked down at her son, curly red hair atop his head and a smattering of freckles on his nose. He was the spitting image of his father, but at that moment, she couldn't be happier with how things had turned out.
"My darling boy, I could not be happier if I was paid to be" she said, honestly.
"That's good, Because I'm happy too" he said, resuming their pace, walking towards the end of the isle.
When they arrived, Hermione caught sight of her husband to be as he winked at her. She smiled back, knowing that after this day, their lives would be complete.
Harry and Ginny sat in the audience with a toddler bouncing between them both. Messy black hair stood on top of his head and every now and then, Ginny would hiss "James, sit down".
Ron sat nearby, holding hands with Lavender Brown, who had cut her hair short. She looked beautiful, despite the deep scars that criss-crossed her face and chest. Ron looked to Lav every now and then with a twinkle in his eyes. Hermione hadn't ever seen someone more in love than Ron and Lav. Lav rested her hand on the bump on her belly as they watched on and Hermione smiled.
At they arrived at the precipice, an elderly wizard exclaimed "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?".
Hermione nudged her son Fred, who looked up at his mum and hesitated.
"Mummy, if I give you away, you'll still be my mum, right?" he whispered.
"Of course I will" she answered, to resounding laughter in the audience.
"I do!" he said proudly to the man.
Hermione turned and faced the man who would be her husband. The one who had stuck by her side for 5 years, who had helped her, without question, without doubt, without fear. The man who had sat by whilst she grieved her last love, while she questioned every aspect of their relationship over and over again. The man who continued to come back to her, despite her doubts and fears and questions of whether she only loved him because he was almost identical to her first love.
"I love you" George whispered to her, while the old wizard conducted the ceremony.
"I love you" she responded, knowing full well, completely in her heart, that she did love George. It would never be the same way that she loved Fred. She had taken years to learn that the hard way. But she loved George in a completely different and unique way. A way that was as passionate, as desperate and as deep as anyone could ever love another person.
She would always love Fred. She would always have a space for him in her heart, but now, as she stood across from George, she knew that he now owned the rest of it.
The End