A/N: Well guys, it's finally here, the final chapter! Took a little longer than I thought because I kept re-writing it, and it turned out longer than I expected, but it's finally done.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read this, and an extra thank you to all my reviewers, I greatly appreciate the time you've all taken to read what I have to write :) You guys are awesome!

Enjoy

xBx

Chapter 15: A Nice Day for a Wedding, or Two.

A week after Hermione had chosen her dress, she and Ginny were sat at the breakfast bar in Hermione's kitchen, watching Draco's tailor, Winston, unpack and hang a selection of Muggle formal wear with a wave of his wand. Blaise was sitting nonchalantly at the dining table, while Draco leaned against the wall; they were only waiting for Harry's arrival to begin the fittings.

"I don't get why you two have to be here for this?" Draco argued good-naturedly, as Blaise lifted his feet to rest them on the table. "I didn't get to see you trying on dresses."

"That's because it's bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding," Hermione pointed out. "Blaise, get your feet of my table, or so help me you will be hobbling down the aisle on stumps."

Draco gave a snort of derision as Blaise did as he was told.

"Plus, men can't be trusted with this," Ginny added. "You'll take forever picking something, and then you'll chose wrong. Besides, we've already picked out what you're wearing."

"Then why are we here?" Blaise sighed.

"To fit the suits and play around with colours," Ginny said simply, as if this was obvious. There was a brisk knock at the door, followed by the sound of Harry calling out a greeting and walking up the hall.

"I'm not late am I?" he asked upon entering the kitchen.

'Not at all," Hermione assured him, before getting right down to business. "Right, we'll be wanting traditional Muggle morning suits."

"For groom and grooms-men?" Winston asked, and Hermione nodded.

"Quick question," Harry interrupted. 'Why exactly am I here?"

"Because you're a grooms-man," Hermione said with a frown.

"Am I?"

Hermione rounded on Draco looking exasperated. "I thought you said you had asked him!?"

"Actually, you asked "have you chosen your second grooms-man?" and I said "yeah, Potter". Technically I never said I'd asked him."

"Why didn't you?" Hermione demanded.

Draco shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know, it never really came up in conversation. And I wasn't sure how to bring it up."

"Were the words 'hey, Potter, will you be a grooms-man at the wedding' too difficult for you to string together?" Hermione asked with incredulous sarcasm. "Never mind, it's sorted now. I was originally thinking black, but now I've seen these jackets, I'm thinking charcoal. What do you think?" Hermione said critically to Ginny.

Ginny nodded slowly, "mmm, I think so too."

"Excellent," Winston said, picking out three sets of charcoal trousers and matching tailcoats and handing them to the boys. "White for the shirts of course," he added, handing round the said items when Hermione murmured her agreement. "But what of the waistcoat? The same as the tails?"

"I was thinking either a lighter grey, or perhaps an ivory more towards the cream side?" Hermione suggested. "I'm not sure which will look best."

"Not to worry, we can switch the colours when they've got them on. Cravats?"

"Green, to match this," Ginny promptly held out a fabric swatch of the bridesmaids gowns for Winston to compare to.

"Excellent," he declared, picking up a trio of cravats and turning them into the perfect match with a wave of his wand and handing them to the boys. He then handed them a cream waistcoat each and looked at them expectantly. "Well, go on then. Try them on, and then we can adjust."

They boys retreated grudgingly to change in the bedrooms, leaving the girls to make small talk with Draco's tailor.

"Do you get a lot of requests for Muggle attire?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"More than you would think," the little wizard replied. "A few of my clients, Mr Malfoy included, conduct some business in the Muggle world. But this kind of formal wear I never get asked for, not for decades now; when Mr Malfoy approached me for Muggle wedding attire I had to replenish my stock."

"I greatly appreciate it, thank you," Hermione offered with a smile. "What is taking them so long?" she added, just as the boys entered. Each of them had an almost sheepish look on their faces and carried their cravats in their hand – none of them having any idea where to even start with tying it.

"Oh," Winston said with a dramatic eye-roll. "The youth of today, how the art of formal dress has been so long forgotten." With a quick wave of his wand the cravats wound their way around the boys' collars and folded themselves into the correct knots. A few more, well-chosen, wand movements and each suit adjusted itself to fit each man perfectly. Winston changed the colour of the waistcoats between silver-grey and cream a couple of times before Hermione and Ginny finally decided on the cream after Winston magically added a subtle pattern stitched in the same lichen green as the cravats tying together the entire look nicely. All the while the boys looked uncomfortably at each other, clearly feeling awkward at being dressed and paraded in front of the girls, as well as each other, in such a way. Considering that Draco must go through this on a regular basis every time he got a new suit, Hermione suspected he was playing up his chagrin in front of Harry and Blaise.

"Now that we've got that out of the way," Ginny commented an hour later once Winston had left. "We can move on to the final important tasks: Your hen night. And your stag night," Ginny added to Draco as an afterthought.

"Though Blaise and Harry should really take care of that. I'm thinking we should host yours," Ginny turned back to Hermione, "at your parents' place. Take over that nice little in-house-bar room you have."

"In that case, we can host Draco's at our place," Blaise chimed in.

"Our place?" Hermione queried looking between Blaise and Ginny, and putting two and two together. "Wait, you mean you two moved in together?"

"Like a month ago," Ginny said casually, and then grinned sheepishly after a moment. "Did I forget to mention that?"

"I think you might have done, yeah," Hermione laughed. "Well, congratulations guys, we need to celebrate this!"

"Not until after you wedding," Ginny conditioned. "We'll throw a little dinner when you two return from your honeymoon." Ginny rounded on Draco.

"All sorted, give or take a few minor details" Draco assured the redhead before she could fire up at him.

Hermione grinned, "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll find out."

Ginny had been right, after that weekend there had been nothing more major to organise: they received the final RSVPs and caterers were informed of final numbers, everything had been paid for, and Draco had apparently sorted the honeymoon and even arranged Hermione's leave though he was yet to tell her where they were going.

Hermione's hen party was scheduled the Friday before her wedding; the ceremonies were to be on Sunday, and since they were having two, starting at midday, Ginny judged it best to allow Saturday for a hangover that was highly likely to occur. They boys had finally decided to host Draco's Stag night at their Knightsbridge apartment to allow for Hermione's father to attend with ease, instead of trying to get a Muggle into Diagon Alley. Hermione was joined at her family home by a select few of her closest acquaintances, all of whom would be attending both weddings the day after tomorrow.

Victoria and Narcissa had breached the first awkward hurdles of a new acquaintance, and were now getting along rather well. Of course the generous flow of alcohol helped ease any tension that may have been there at the beginning of the night, and the girls were now happily engaged in laughing conversation, gathered around the sofas in the wine cellar.

"Another bottle empty," Hermione sighed and looked longingly over at the well-stocked wall at the other side of the room.

"We could have hired a waiter for the evening, you know." Victoria pointed out, looking just as reluctant to move as her daughter.

"No need!" Hermione said with a grin and a flourish of her wand. She summoned another bottle of champagne to the table, where it landed unevenly with a thunk as it fell onto its side, its contents fizzing enough to send the cork exploding across the room and champagne to froth onto the table.

"Perhaps your mother was onto something with the topless waiter," Ginny said, picking up the bottle and vanishing the spill with her own wand, in a couple of attempts. "Even your wand-work gets shitty when you're pissed."

"Excuse me!" Hermione over-dramatically admonished, sounding offended, at the same time as Victoria said: "I didn't say topless."

'He may not have started topless, but he'd have got there at the end," Ginny grinned, choosing to ignore Hermione and answer Victoria instead.

"I think what Ginny was trying to say, is that even your exceptional spell casting is affected when you are slightly intoxicated," Emmy said with a laugh, defusing the tension, as she sent the bottle around to fill everyone's glasses.

"I could still beat you in a duel," Hermione retaliated to Ginny without looking at her.

"Oh you think so, do you? Come on then, bring it on," Ginny challenged. Emmy, Parvati, and Luna shifted ever so slightly further back from the pair.

"You do remember the last time we duelled?" Hermione smirked, thinking back to their eventful first Defence class of their final year. "No professor here to make me lift the spell this time…"

"Oh, I'll be ready for it this time; you won't be getting one over on me."

"Okay, ladies," Andromeda said, taking control of the situation and taking the girls' wands into her custody. "I think that's enough magic for you tonight."

"Duels?" Victoria queried. "As in actual, old fashioned, duels?"

Hermione nodded, and shifted back into a reclining position. "Not with swords or pistols, but yes, with wands. We were in defence class, it's all part of our lessons."

"Is that safe?" Victoria asked.

"Depends on your definition I suppose, but it was bloody funny," Parvati, who was slightly intoxicated also, laughed out.

"Hey!" Ginny said with indignation.

"Oh Ginny, you were hilarious!" Hermione assured her, laughing along. "Arms flailing – you should have seen yourself."

The girls continued drinking and talking well into the night, taking a break around 10pm to mattress surf down the staircases – whose idea it was, or how such a suggestion even came about, no one was quite sure but the outcome was certainly entertaining. At one point, things almost took a dramatic turn for the worst when Luna – who attempted to go down standing, instead of on her stomache – took a tumble. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she stood and lifted her left arm to examine her hand that was hanging at an odd angle.

"I think I broke by wrist," she said conversationally. There was a rush, as the others descended to her in concern.

"Not to worry," Luna declared in her usual dreamy voice. She drew out her wand and fixed it before the others were halfway down.

"All fixed!" She announced, waving her hands and then going into a cartwheel to demonstrate. "See?"

After the younger ones recovered from the laughter that naturally followed Luna's accident and recovery, the party gave up on the mattress surfing and retired to the music room where they spent the rest of the night playing, singing, and eventually moving onto the ill-judged karaoke.

The boys' night was a little less exuberant: They spent most of the evening playing cards and drinking firewhiskey. A few traditional drinking games were of course ventured upon, but mostly the men simply enjoyed the rare night without the women in their lives. At midnight Anthony Granger and a few of Draco's friends from the Ministry decided to call it a night, leaving Draco with only Harry, Blaise, Neville and Ron for company. It was an odd assortment, but the past two years had allowed for most of their differences to be settled, or at the very least pushed far into the background, and as a group they were now well on their way down the road to a solid friendship.

Thankfully, despite the alcohol consumed, no one was nursing a severe hangover the following day. Hermione was spending the night before the wedding back in her old room at her parents' house; Draco would be back at the manor for the night and would apparate to the guest rooms at Roseby house, along with Harry and Blaise, at some point in the morning before the wedding.

Hermione spent the morning in her own rooms, joined by her mother, Ginny, and Luna, being pampered and preened in preparation for the afternoon: they had an early start, but a rather relaxing morning of facials and pedicures.

Narcissa stopped by just as Hermione was having her hair done, put up into a loose, yet elegant, low chignon. Narcissa remained while the girls, already in their bridesmaid's gowns, helped Hermione into her dress, assisting with the fastening of the tiny silk buttons that ran from below her waist right up to her shoulder blades.

"I don't see why you wouldn't let me use magic," Ginny grumbled. "My fingers are getting cramp, there are hundreds of the bloody things."

"Thirty-seven, Ginny," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's not over-exaggerate."

"Either way, Malfoy's got his work cut out for him tonight."

When the dress was fastened Victoria secured the veil low, and Narcissa positioned the tiara to finish Hermione's ensemble perfectly. Hermione finally looked at herself in the mirror; she critically appraised herself from top to bottom, and smiled. For the first time in life she could find no fault in her appearance.

There was a knock on her sitting room door, Ginny went to open it and permitted Harry and Ron to enter the room.

"We just wanted to see you before you -" Harry started, but then stopped when he looked at Hermione. "Wow. Hermione you look, wow."

Hermione giggled. "I don't scrub up too badly, do I?" she joked.

The boys moved into the room, towards Hermione, and the others gave the three some space.

"Nervous?" Ron asked.

"That depends, is Draco going to do a runner?" Hermione asked, looking shrewdly at Harry.

"No," Harry smiled. "Honestly? He's actually nervous about you running. He's worried you'll come to your senses and realise you deserve someone far better than him – his words not mine."

"He's got a point though," Ron added, earning a smack on the arm from Hermione.

"I'm kidding," Ron said with a smile. "Look, in all seriousness, he's not a bad guy. I mean, I know the four of have a complicated history-"

"That's putting it lightly," Harry grinned.

"-but, this past year – since you and Malfoy moved in together, and I realised you were really serious about him – I've made the effort to get to know him. He's alright, and he loves you – really loves you. He would do anything, and I mean anything, for you. You deserve that."

Hermione didn't speak right away but went to hug Ron; she squeezed him to her, and Ron wrapped his arms around her gently so as not to disturb the veil and her hair.

"Stop it Ron, you're going to make me cry."

"We can't be having that," Ron joked as the two broke apart.

Hermione smiled at her best friends and took a hand of each into her own. "Can you believe we made it to this point?"

"The point where you turn traitor to your Gryffindor roots and marry a Slytherin? No, not really." Ron joked, and the other two laughed.

"You know what I mean."

"I dragged you guys through so much, and I'm sorry for what I put you through," Harry said.

"We weren't dragged," Hermione assured him with a smile. "We followed you willingly – I'm still a little hazy as to why. But we saved the world, the three of us, and now we get to live in it – now we get our happy ever afters."

The sitting room door opened once more, and Hermione's father entered. "Everyone has arrived. It's nearly twelve, we'll get started whenever you're ready."

"Next time I see you, you'll be Mrs Malfoy," Ron said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I'll see you at the altar," Harry grinned, kissing her cheek in turn, before following Ron to the door.

"We'll go take our seats," Victoria said, cupping Hermione's cheek with tears glistening in her eyes. "I can't believe my little girl is all grown up."

"Come on, ladies," Anthony coaxed. "We have a schedule to stick to if we want to make it to that second wedding."

Victoria and Narcissa departed leaving Hermione alone with her father and her Bridesmaids. Anthony finally took a good look at his daughter.

"Well?" Hermione asked, raising her hands. "Will I do, do you think?"

Anthony didn't speak, he couldn't, but his feelings showed plainly on his face as he nodded and took his daughter's hands in his.

"You look-" he started, but Hermione cut him off after hearing his voice crack with emotions.

"Maybe you should keep that thought until later, otherwise you might make me cry. And we don't want to ruin my make up."

Anthony laughed, and hooked Hermione's arm through his, "Ready?"

Hermione nodded and ginned. Ginny picked up Hermione's bouquet of autumn flowers and handed them over. "Let's go get your prince."

The weather was on their side for today, and the sun was shining bright in a cloudless sky. Though of course this is autumn in Yorkshire and so there was a slight chill in the air, but Hermione didn't feel it as her father escorted her down the aisle, between the few guests privileged with an invite, towards Draco.

Tradition dictates that the groom should not turn back to look at his bride, instead he should wait until she arrives at his side, but Draco couldn't resist turning back to sneak a peek. When he did, he was incapable of looking away from the vision moving towards him. He had always found Hermione attractive ever since their fourth year and he had seen her at the Yule Ball – that was the first time he had really taken note of her. And then over the years, despite their enmity, her growing beauty was never lost upon him, then on the night of that ridiculous Halloween ball at Hogwarts where she was Dressed as Ann Boleyn he realised she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. But that was nothing to what she looked like now, and as she came to stand beside him and placed her hands in his, Draco still could not believe she was about to become his for life.

They repeated their vows that were standard for any Muggle wedding, exchanged rings and sealed the ceremony with a kiss, extracting tears from many of those present. A photographer had been capturing candid moments throughout the ceremony and now, as the guests made their way from the orchard over to the large marquee, he took the standard traditional shots.

In all, it took about thirty minutes; Hermione and Draco having photos taken together, with the entire wedding party, with just the families. Hermione on her own, and then with her bridesmaids, and her parents, and then Draco did the same. Just before they were to join the rest in the marquee, Hermione requested one more shot, on her own with Harry and Ron.

"You don't mind do you?" She asked Draco.

"Of course not. The Golden Trio need their moment."

The following dinner was a simple affair: Hermione and Draco's entrance was announced, as per the custom, they ate well but drank little of the champagne as they – along with everyone else who was to be attending the second ceremony – had a long day still ahead of them. After dinner came the speeches from Blaise and Ginny; since they were in a room full of Muggles, they were limited on what they could say and so they kept it simple and sweet – their full speech would be given later that night. Hermione's father gave the longest speech, welcoming Draco officially into their family, and finally Narcissa said a few words of her own.

When dinner was done, the bride and groom danced their first dance and were soon joined on the dance floor by those who had not abstained from the free-flowing champagne. At 4pm, Hermione and Draco retreated to the house under the pretence of getting an early start on their honeymoon, and those who would be joining them at Malfoy Manor made their departure not long after, prompting a hasty dispersion of the guests.

By 5pm everyone had left, and Anthony and Victoria joined Hermione and Narcissa in the Library – the others had already left for Malfoy Manor.

"So, how are we getting to wedding number two?" Anthony asked.

"Portkey," Hermione said, gesturing to an empty decanter on the table in front of them. "It is an object charmed to move those who touch it from one place to another. You have actually travelled this way once before, but you were unconscious. It's a strange sensation, but as long as you don't let go you will be fine. And maybe keep your eyes closed," she suggested as an afterthought.

"Whenever we're ready," Narcissa said, placing a finger on the decanter. Hermione followed suit, and her parents echoed her actions on either side of her.

When Anthony and Victoria had recovered from the unnerving sensation of magically transporting through space, Andromeda escorted them all through the house. This was the Granger's second foray into the Manor and so they were not overly distracted by the blatant signs of magic visible at every turn, however it still took them a little longer than usual to traverse the halls to the small library, where Luna and Ginny were awaiting them.

"You're cutting it fine," Ginny teased. "We're close to being late."

"A bride is never late, everyone else is early," Victoria smiled.

"I thought that was a queen?" Hermione mused.

'Either way, it wouldn't hut to get a move on," Narcissa suggested, bringing everyone back on track.

There wasn't a lot to do to prepare for the second ceremony: a little touching up of hair and make-up, a slight adjusting and freshening up of dresses and flowers, and all was accomplished with the wave of a wand.

Narcissa then summoned a house-elf who brought them a goblet of refreshing pumpkin juice infused with a mild variety of the Peer-Up potion to give the girls a small pick-me-up. Hermione greatly appreciated the gesture; she didn't actually realise how tiring the afternoon had been until the potion dispelled the first vestiges of fatigue that had started to settle.

It was now close to 5.30pm, then sun was setting low against the horizon and the first stars of dusk would soon be visible. The ceremony was taking place in the large conservatory that was set off the ballroom (where the evening reception would be hosted). The conservatory was extensive with high vaulted ceilings, which were enchanted like those of the great hall at Hogwarts, and the clear twilight sky could be easily seen by all. The decorations were minimal, making use of what was already there: leaves on the trees inside were a beautiful array of crimson, gold, and toffee, standing vases of flowers in a healthy mix of greens and oranges, and autumn garlands were strung along the rows of seats lining the aisle. The candles floating among the eaves were supplemented by the fairies that fluttered around the trees, giving a magical golden and silver glow over those gathered, without detracting from the stars slowly beginning to shine.

While the girls had not changed from their Muggle attire to Wizarding robes, the boys had modified their outfits now: while they weren't in full robes, they had donned dress cloaks to compliment the suits underneath. The ceremony went much like the Muggle one, similar vows were recited and exchanged. With a wave of his wand, the wizard who was officiating wrapped Hermione and Draco's clasped hands with a golden ribbon.

"Do you take each other, to be partners from now until eternity?"

"I do."

"I do."

"Then I now pronounce you bonded for life."

The ribbon entwining their hands unravelled and transfigured into a dozen golden butterflies that flew above the guests as Hermione and Draco cemented their vows with a kiss.

There was no formal sit down dinner after this ceremony, house-elves moved around the crowd carrying platters of hors d'oeuvres at regular intervals. Hermione and Draco made their rounds of the gathered crowd, receiving their congratulations and well wishes. The reporter from Witch Weekly cornered them soon after the ceremony and persuaded them to take a series of photographs in the conservatory, after that she and the photographer circled the ballroom taking candid shots, and trying to weasel gossip from anyone and everyone. Draco and Hermione didn't let it bother them, instead they ate and drank, they laughed and they danced. As they danced, Draco finally told Hermione where he would be taking her for their honeymoon:

"I've organised a portkey, we'll be leaving in the morning."

"Are you going to tell me where?"

"There are two destinations, and a mix of Magical and Muggle. I remember you saying once how much you've always wanted to see the Northern Lights, so tomorrow we'll be heading to Iceland, we'll be spending four days in the Wizard quarter, in downtown Reykjavic and exploring the country. Then from there we'll take another portkey to the Maldives – I know it's a Muggle cliché honeymoon destination, but it looks really nice and very exclusive, and after four days in Iceland I'm going to need to thaw out somehow."

Hermione laughed. "It's perfect," she smiled.

"Just like you."

A/N: And that's the end. Thank you all for reading, and sticking with it evening though I've taken so long with some of the updates.

I'm still writing a fic for A Song of Ice and Fire, called Winter's Wrath, which will now be taking priority. But I have been working on another Dramione fic, titled "Tempus Fugit" which I will be posting soon (the first chapter is fully written, with the hope of posting at the end of the month/beginning of March)

Until then, thank you all again for reading, for reviewing, for following and favouriting. I never intending to write this story, it was an afterthought of Tainted by the Past, but I'm very glad I was persuaded to give it a go, I hope you've all enjoyed it as much as I have :)

Until the next one,

Cheers

xBec x