DISCLAIMER: Wishing that I did own HP, but I don't.

I've seen your face a thousand times, have all your stories memorized. I've kissed your lips a million ways, but I still love to have you around. I've held you too many times to count, I think I know you inside out. And we're together most days, but I still love to have you around. And you're the one I want and it's not just a phase. And you're the one I trust, our love is the real thing.

"The Real Thing" by Gwen Stefani

Chapter 6: Love

Hermione stood looking into the mirror as the people around her seemed to move by in a blur. Her thoughts were scattered as she focused on the image in the mirror. It was time.

It was hard to remember that incident being two months ago and now here she was, preparing for the biggest commitment she would ever make.

To say that Cho had taken the news badly would be the understatement in the history of mankind. She had threw the biggest temper tantrum Hermione had ever seen. At one point she was on the verge of asking Cho whether she thought the people in China heard her, but decided that maybe she should just let her get it out. After all, she was taking away Harry.

However, while Cho was off crying to her friends and the press at how Harry had wronged her, the Weasleys and their friends were celebrating. None of them had liked Cho much anyways so it was really no great loss to them.

Ricardo had been very disappointed when she had shown up at the end of the week and handed him her resignation. When he had asked why, she had simply replied, "Love makes the biggest fools of us sometimes, but it can also make us happier than we could have ever dreamt of being."

He had let her go without even making her serve two more weeks. His sly smile had told her that he knew the situation and was happy for her, even if he was sad at losing her expertise.

The news had made headlines in every paper and magazine. Harry Potter, saviour of the wizarding world, announcing that he isn't going to marry Cho Chang, his fiancée, but instead Hermione Granger, his long-time friend, was big news.

Hermione glanced down at the small emerald ring on her finger. She had begged Harry to choose it over diamonds that were much larger. When he had asked why, she had merely answered that it reminded her of his eyes.

The necklace draped delicately around her neck now was the exact same colour and cut as the ring on her finger. It had been an early wedding present from Harry.

She ran her hands down the long, white skirt of her wedding dress. Today was the day, her wedding day, the day she would become Mrs. Harry James Potter.

"Hermione?" Ginny spoke softly from her right. "Are you ready?"

Hermione smiled and nodded. "I've been ready, I've always been ready."

The redhead nodded and took her arm. "Then let's go. I know someone else who is quite ready and impatient. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting, now would we?"

As Hermione made her way out of the room with Ginny, she couldn't help but wonder if things could get any better.

XoX

As the last of the guests filed away, Hermione smiled softly to herself. She now had a silver band on her finger that announced that she was a married woman, a woman married to the man she loved beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Harry had a similar band around his finger and she couldn't help but smile. He was hers. No other woman would ever have him as long as she was around.

"A knut for your thoughts," he whispered in her ear, his breath making her spine tingle.

She turned her face up to meet his kiss. "I'm just thinking about how happy I am with you." She kissed him more slowly this time. "I also admit to thinking that now no other woman is allowed to even look at you."

He laughed and swung her around. "Oh, Hermione, how can you possible think that I would even want to look at another when I have you?"

"I'm not saying that you would want to look, I'm saying that they had better not look," she said, a smile on her lips. "You're my Harry, no one else's."

He smiled arrogantly and said, "I think I like the sound of that."

"Good," she said as she kissed him.

He picked up The Marauder from the ground and held it out. "Shall we, my lady?"

She swung her leg over it, "We shall." She waited while he climbed on behind her, wrapping his arms securely around her as he grabbed the handle.

"Hold on," he told her right before he kicked off at an alarming pace. Normally Hermione would have panicked at this point, but after building it and testing it out, she got thrill out of the fast speed.

He steered them straight into the sky until the chapel beneath them was just a tiny speck along with all the other houses. He levelled them out and flew on, testing out the full speed of the broom.

"This is amazing, Hermione," he told her once when they were flying over the ocean.

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get it to go this fast? I mean, the speed and handling is amazing. I would never have dreamed that a broom could handle this well at this speed."

She glanced back at him over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. "Do you promise that you won't ever tell my secret to anyone, no matter who they are?"

"Cross my heart," he replied earnestly.

"Not even Ron, Harry."

"I promise."

She turned around apparently in thought. Finally, he heard her say softly, "Actually, you were the inspiration behind the whole broom."

He pulled them to a stop. "I was?"

"Yes, you were. Actually, I followed the basic broom design for it," she answered flippantly. "I just added a core like you would to a wand."

"Really? Wow. I never would have thought of that."

"Obviously no one else did either, Mr. Smarty Pants."

"Stop mocking me," he said. "Anyways, what did you add to it?"

"A phoenix feather."

"A phoenix feather?"

"Yes."

"Wow. Never would have thought of that either."

"Again, obviously."

"So, phoenix feathers work for brooms…"

"Obviously."

"Alright, Mrs. Smarty Pants, just keep showing off how smart you are," he said with a laugh.

"I will."

He laughed as she shrieked when he went into a sharp dive. He pulled back up a foot off the ground and he could hear her trying to catch her breath. "Not so smart now, are you Mrs. Smarty Pants?"

"Oh, you are so going to pay for that, Potter."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? And just what are you going to do about it?"

"This," she said as she reached behind him and grabbed his leg, hurling him off the broom.

Since they were only a little over a foot off the ground, he only landed with a 'thud' and glared up at her. "Oh, you are going to pay for that."

"Sorry, that was payback," she informed him. "You can't pay me back for a payback."

He looked up at her. "Who says?"

"I do," she said with a raised chin. "What are you going to do about it?"

"This," he said as he jumped up and grabbed the broom, pulling it and her down. He grabbed her around the waist and rolled her over on the ground, rolling on top of her.

His lips connected with hers in a blazing kiss, his tongue making gentle sweeps over her lips. "Oh, I love you, Mrs. Potter."

She smiled up at him. "And I love you, Mr. Potter."

It was then that she realized that maybe life didn't always have a silver lining. That maybe one had to experience the bad before they got their happily ever after.

This was her happily ever after.

That's the end. Hope you liked it. Big thanks to Curse Weaver for making an AWESOME graphic for mine and Blazey-poo's new website (look under profile for link). It is SOOOO cool. THANK YOU SO MUCH and, as always, thanks for reading!

Much Love, your favorite squirrel general,

MiZZ Amaya