Chapter 28
Hermione startled awake, gasping as she clutched her wand.
“Sorry, dear.” Mrs Weasley said apologetically as Mione tried to catch her breath. The Weasley matron had just shaken her awake and her instincts had taken over, telling her body she was in danger of being attacked. She tried to rid the anxiety rolling through herself as she lowered her wand.
“S-sorry, Molly,” Mione replied sheepishly.
“Wake up call, it’s almost 9 and we’ve got a busy schedule ahead of us today.” The brunette nodded as the older witch moved on to the other sleeping girl in the room. Stretching and popping her back, Mione heaved herself off the floor and followed her nose down the stairs to the Weasley dining room for breakfast.
Harry’s wedding reception had lasted hours, and she’d been properly exhausted by the end of it. The night had been fun. She’d mingled with Dudley and his girlfriend for a few hours, thankful he wasn’t as horrid as he was as a youth. When he’d found out Mione had been raised muggle, he had relaxed a bit. Seemingly at ease knowing that, at one point, the wizarding world had been strange to her as well. He wasn’t very bright, and his conversational skills were minimal but it could have gone much worse.
Harry had stolen her for a dance an hour after dinner and apologised for leaving her alone with his cousin and Malfoy for so long. She’d just laughed it off and inquired about Ruth, who she’d learned was very muggle and had only been dating Harry’s cousin for a few months. He explained that he allowed Duddley to bring her as a sort of bribe (perks of being The Chosen One, the statute of secrecy could be bent for you). The cousins were far from close and, though he was trying, the other boy was still scared out of his mind around magic. So he brought his girlfriend to help him stay ‘grounded’ and ‘calm’. He’d been warned that if they ever broke up or if she tried to blab, she’d have to be obliviated and (although it apparently seemed to cause him to nearly faint) Dudley had agreed to the conditions.
Harry and Hermione had danced for a couple more songs before his new mother-in-law cut in, and Mione sent him a grimacing smile as he got caught up in Mrs Greengrass’s drama. She’d enjoyed a piece (or two) of the wedding cake (a brown butter cake with honey almond mousse, and toasted almond pieces, wrapped in caramel buttercream and white fondant) before spending the rest of the night sipping on the champagne flutes available and dancing with her friends to the different songs on the DJ’s playlist. At around nine-thirty the party was starting to wind down so Mrs Weasley gathered Ginny, Angie, Mione, and Fleur (who’d been sitting and talking with Daphne most of the night, both girls dead on their feet after about half an hour) to head back to the burrow. Mione waved goodbye to Hagrid, who’d been talking about his summer in Romania with Charlie and Norberta, before following the other girls out. Molly warned Zabini not to be late to his and Ginny’s wedding when she passed him before apparating away, girls in tow.
Mrs Weasley had gone to bed upon their arrival, but the girls had other plans. Since there really wasn’t time to give every girl her own bachelorette party they’d decided everyone would get together and celebrate on the tenth. It was the night before Pansy and Ron’s wedding and the weekend before Hermione and Ma- Draco’s. And since theirs were the last two of the friend group, it seemed the best time to do it. Because Ginny wouldn’t be getting a hen do before the big day, they were going to spend the evening pampering her (and subsequently each other). They’d waxed their arms, legs, and faces before applying cooling masks; used scented potions to help soothe the skin while gently massaging it in. Fleur was out for the count following a foot rub, leaving Hermione and Angie to finish Ginny’s ‘spa’ night by themselves. She painted Ginny’s toenails while Angelina gave her a deep-conditioning scalp massage and Angie painted Gin’s fingernails while Hermione rubbed in a final facial mask to help give the redhead's skin a dewy complexion for her big day. They’d all climbed into their different sleeping spots (Ginny in her bed, Fleur in Bill’s bed, Angelina in George’s bed, and Mione on the floor in George’s room) around one in the morning, relaxed and feeling refreshed.
“Morning,” Fleur hummed. As Hermione made her way into the kitchen Fleur was helping herself to some of Mrs Weasley’s pancakes and a spoonful of chocolate sauce to spread over the top.
“Mor-ning,” Mione replied, a yawn seeping through her voice as she spoke. She sat down and grabbed a cup of tea and a buttered scone to nibble on as she attempted to work through the anxiety and sleep clouding her head. She’d been fine all night, the alcohol helping to deaden her normal nightmares, but when Molly had grabbed her this morning her anxiety had skyrocketed. They’d all had adjustments to make after the war. Ron, she knew, spent a lot of time running and stashing away small portions of food for emergency purposes. Ginny was better about it now but early on she had been drunk more often than not. And Harry would zone out in the middle of conversations, eyes glazed over and vacant, while he struggled to process what was happening around him. They all had trouble sleeping though. Hermione had retrained her body to get up to her alarm clock. The damn thing was annoying as hell but it no longer freaked her out. But when things interrupted her sleep that she wasn’t prepared for (like thunderstorms or being woken up by a person) then she had a lot of trouble trying to regulate her anxiety. If it was the middle of the night and she was with her friends, she would crawl in beside them (since they tended to be awake as well) and they would cuddle until they fell asleep.
But during the mornings or days, it was harder. She couldn’t focus, couldn’t understand simple things happening around her. She was shaky to the point where some days she couldn’t even hold a cup because the liquid would go everywhere. Little noises or people moving too fast made her jump. But people moving too slow or trying to talk to her pissed her off. Thankfully her big attacks were pretty rare these days, but in the beginning, if something smelled or sounded or looked a certain way she would shut down, sobs racked her body as she fell to the floor and rocked herself gently with her ears covered. Those days were particularly rough because by the time she finally came out of her panicked state she was exhausted and had trouble leaving her bed for days. It was because of those attacks that she’d started seeing her therapist. Mione thought she’d been doing better but the way she currently felt she was considering finding a new doctor to see here in London.
As Ginny entered the kitchen, Hermione was downing a cup of Nasturtium of Hestia potion to help regulate her mood for the day. She would have to avoid drinking any alcohol for twelve hours and wouldn’t be able to feel any emotion other than fine for up to three hours but it was better than the jittery anxious mess she was without it.
“Good morning, Miss Weasley,” Angelina smirked as the redhead found a chair. “Excited for your last few hours as an unmarried woman? Or are you and Zabini round the bend for each other already?”
“Angie!” Mrs Weasley gasped as she came in behind her daughter.
“What? They were all over each other last night.”
“Huh?! How did you see, I thought we were being discreet?” Ginny groaned as she took a bite out of her pancakes.
“Ginevra!” Molly turned on her, scandalised. “That boy is no good, people will think you’re a tart, the way you act around him.”
“Mu-um,” Ginny whined. “We’re getting married today. It’s normal for newlyweds to be all over each other.”
“Normal for people who didn’t despise one another two weeks ago. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, one minute you’re moping and complaining about being paired with the boy the next you're drooling over him.” Mione smirked at her friend, knowing full well why she was drooling over him (again).
“You shut it,” Ginny muttered under her breath.
“I didn’t say anything,” Hermione replied, smirk deepening.
- • •
“How’s this look, Gin?” Angie asked over her shoulder. She’d just finished braiding Hermione’s hair (the style all the bridesmaids were wearing today) and she’d redone it three times trying to get it looking decent. Ginny looked at them through the mirror where she was getting her own hair curled by the stylist she and Blaise had hired.
“Finally! Looks great, Ange.” She called out, smiling now that the bridesmaids were all pretty much ready to go. Hermione was the last one to get her hair done (since they knew it would take the longest) and all the girls were in their ruby, halter top dresses with their makeup done and shoes on. Ginny’s make-up was done as well (a pale blue cut crease eye and dark red lipstick) and she was getting her hair curled and pinned to finish off the look. The stylist was putting in the first of the hair grips so Hermione and Angelina started to open up the dress bag containing the wedding gown. They ooh’d and awe’d as it came into view. The strapless, sweetheart neckline gown was mermaid cut and made of cream tulle. It had bead appliques running the top and bottom of the main bodice as well as down the centre. It was beautifully modern and Hermione had no idea how Ginny would be able to move in it. She knew for a fact there was going to be a quidditch scrimmage sometime during the reception (George had had one break out and Ron and Ginny both planned to have them as well). Not to mention all the dancing. The dress was gorgeous, no doubt, but very impractical in Hermione’s opinion. Which she chose not to share since Ginny had flat out cried when she came out wearing the sample gown during their shopping spree declaring it ‘perfect’ and ‘the one’.
“Ginny! Magnificent! You look gorgeous, doesn't she girls?” Fleur asked as she and her daughters came in from the bathroom.
“You look very pretty, Aunt Ginny,” Victoire told her daintily.
“Pretty! Aunt Ginny pretty!” Dominique mimicked, clapping her hands as she showed off her toothy grin.
“Thank you girls, you both look very pretty too!” Ginny exclaimed, trying not to move while she regarded her nieces through the vanity mirror. They were wearing pale blue chiffon dresses and carrying empty baskets, ready to be filled when they walked down the aisle as Ginny’s flower girls. The stylist finished pinning the redhead's hair and attached her veil while the bridesmaids helped her into her dress. They were zipping the dress when a knock sounded at the door.
“Is everyone decent in here?” Mr Weasley called out cheekily.
“Yes!” Hermione and Fleur cried.
“No,” Ginny and Angelina giggled. Arthur popped his head around the corner, knowing his daughter (and daughter-in-law) were joking. Tears sprang to his eyes as he saw his only daughter in her wedding gown for the first time.
“Oh, Ginny,” he started with a choked voice. “You look beautiful, sweat pea.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“Are you ready, it’s time to start the processional?” He asked, sniffling and dabbing a handkerchief to his eyes.
“Dad, you can’t be crying! You’re gonna make me cry and mess up my makeup!” Ginny exclaimed, a noticeably wet glint in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, sweetie. I just can’t believe my little girl is already getting married. Where has the time gone?”
“I’m not so little,” Ginny grumbled good-naturedly as they made their way down the hall. “I’m twenty-one years old for Merlin’s sake.”
“Not till tomorrow you’re not,” Molly added with a fond smile as they met up with her and Blaise’s groomsmen in the hall. “I would know, I spent thirteen hours in labour with you.”
“Mu-um!” The music started on the other side of the double doors and Molly touched Ginny’s cheek affectionately before heading in. The rest of the processional lined up, Theo took Fleur’s arm, Hermione stood next to Ma-Draco, and Angelina stood awkwardly near Montague.
“You look rather fit today, Granger.” Her husband to be whispered to her as the best man and matron-of-honour started their descent down the aisle. Hermione felt herself blush softly.
“Uh, thanks.” She mumbled as they followed. The door opened into a sunlit loggia, aged pillars opened to the pond behind the ornamental alter. The marble floor clicked under their shoes softly as they made their way past elegantly dressed men and women sitting in red tufted chairs. She split from Malfo- Draco as they came to the alter and she sent Theo and Zabini (who looked uncharacteristically nervous) a small smile before coming to stand next to Fleur. She smiled further as Victoire and Mini made their way down the aisle following one of Blaise’s cousins with the rings. The older girl was gently helping the younger one toss white and red rose petals on the floor before guiding her to their place in front of the lines. Finally, the music shifted to the bridal march and the people in attendance stood. The double doors opened as Ginny and Arthur made their way down the aisle. Hermione heard a soft noise and turned to see Blaise clearing his throat rapidly, a choked-up yet happy smile on his face. Arthur came to a stop in front of the young man and moved Ginny’s arm over before kissing her on the head softly and moving to take his seat. The rest of the attendants sat as well, as Fleur took Ginny’s bouquet and the bride and groom turned to face the altar.
“Welcome. Please be seated.” The officiant proclaimed. “Blaise Guglielmo Zabini. Ginevra Molly Weasley. Today we are gathered here to celebrate the love you have discovered in each other and the commitment you are about to make...”