"Close your eyes please, Miss Hermione." Hermione obeyed and soon felt a soft brush against her eyelids.

"You is liking this color, Miss Ginny?" Hermione heard Posey ask next.

"It's perfect, Posey," Ginny agreed. "She looks wonderful."

Hermione smiled to herself, careful to keep the gesture small lest her makeup artists scold her for sabotaging their delicate work. After months of waiting, the big day – her wedding day – had finally arrived, and Ginny and Posey were in the midst of transforming her for her upcoming walk down the aisle.

A part of Hermione couldn't believe she'd actually made it this far. After the seventh years' field trip, the rest of term had been so busy that it now seemed a blur. The carnival was a smashing success, featuring everything from traditional fair games and food to intramural Quidditch and football tournaments – a vast majority of the students had cited the carnival as a highlight on the exit survey Hermione and Gemma had created for the course, although they were both pleased and thrilled to see that they'd been rated favorably nearly across the board. After the carnival came exams, and Gemma hadn't been able to contain her snickers when she realized Hermione-the-teacher was just as high-strung about them as Hermione-the-student. Before they knew it, the end-of-term feast had disappeared from the tables, the Hogwarts Express had departed for London, and their first year as teachers was over.

"Tilt just this way, Miss Hermione," Posey instructed, bringing Hermione's thoughts back to the present as she felt a gentle pressure guiding her chin. As Posey wouldn't be able to attend the wedding ceremony in the traditional sense – she'd have to remain out of the way and invisible, due to the Muggle guests – Hermione had included her in the preparations instead, asking the little elf if she would kindly see to Hermione's hair and makeup. Posey had burst into tears at the request, crying steadily for several minutes before calming herself enough to declare that nothing would make her happier.

"Just one last bit there…perfect!" Ginny declared. "Alright, Hermione, you can open your eyes now."

Hermione almost didn't recognize the young woman in the mirror – Posey and Ginny had really outdone themselves. The lightest dusting of makeup made her brown eyes pop and her cheeks shine, and her hair was twisted into what Ginny called a 'deliberately messy' loose bun, soft and delicate and not actually messy-looking at all. A white lily, cousin of the stargazers in Hermione's bouquet, was tucked neatly into the bun, pleasing Hermione's senses with its sweet perfume. A sparkling pendant, a gift from her parents, completed the look.

"Oh," Hermione whispered. "Oh, it's perfect."

"You do look absolutely perfect," Ginny agreed. "Draco won't believe his eyes."

"Miss Hermione is a beautiful bride," Posey sighed happily. Artemis, who'd been watching the proceedings from a basket in the corner, purred in contentment, as if she too appreciated Hermione's transformation.

"Shall I get your parents?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded absentmindedly, still gazing in awe at her reflection.

The soft clicking of Ginny's shoes as she descended the staircase snapped Hermione out of her daze, and she slowly stood to get her first look at the full ensemble. After much deliberation, she'd chosen a very simple dress – sleeveless with a modest V-neck, it clung ever so gently to her curves as it cascaded to the floor, ending with just the barest hint of a train. A lightly beaded sash, tied in a pretty bow at the back, was the dress' only embellishment. Simple, yes, but classy at the same time – Hermione absolutely loved it.

"Oh, Hermione." Hermione turned to see that Ginny had returned, accompanied by the elder Grangers. It was Hermione's mother who had spoken, a slight catch to her voice as she gazed upon her only daughter.

"Mum." Hermione strode forward and enveloped her parents in a hug.

"You look like a dream, sweetheart," her father said as he pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Oh, Dad." Hermione sniffed lightly, hoping she wouldn't cry before the ceremony had even begun.

"Ready to greet the world?" Ginny asked, gesturing to the stairs. She wore a knee-length dress in a light spring green, her hair in a half up, half down style, and carried a small bouquet of lilies matching the one in Hermione's hair. "The boys are waiting for you." Hermione smiled.

"Lead the way, then." She hugged Posey tightly, smoothed her dress one last time, and followed her parents and best girlfriend down the stairs.

Outside, Hermione knew, guests would be taking their seats in the area of the garden reserved for the ceremony, but inside, Star Cottage was quiet save for a light murmur of voices coming from the front room. Theo, Harry, Ron, and Draco all stood at the sound of the approaching quartet, and even the normally stoic Malfoy couldn't help the awed expression that came over his face as he saw his bride-to-be.

"Hermione…wow," Harry exclaimed as he stepped forward to hug her. "You look stunning!"

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione replied, a pretty blush coloring her cheeks. She locked eyes with Draco and smiled softly, stepping out of Harry's embrace and extending her hand. Draco took it, his own hand shaking slightly, and drew her close.

"There aren't words," he said quietly. "You look beautiful." The couple stood still for a moment, their fingers intertwined and their foreheads pressed together, not saying anything but merely enjoying one another's presence.

"You ready for this?" Hermione asked after a pause.

"Absolutely," Draco replied. Stepping back, he brushed his lips against Hermione's in the barest hint of a kiss, a promise of more lingering behind as he and the others left to take their places. Ginny smiled dreamily as she adjusted Hermione's skirts one last time.

"Normally I'd call you two disgustingly sweet, but it's your wedding day, so I'll let it slide," she said. Hermione giggled.

"You know how Draco feels about that word," she reminded Ginny. The redhead merely shrugged.

"It was sweet – he'll get over it eventually. Now, let's get you two married!"

They couldn't have asked for better weather, Hermione mused as she followed Ginny down Star Cottage's front steps. Sunlight shone brightly on every surface, perking up the many flowers in the garden, and the heat wave they'd been having recently had decided to back off just in time. A slight shimmer caught Hermione's eye off to one side and she smiled, certain that it was Posey come to watch the ceremony. Ginny disappeared around the corner as her cue came, and Hermione stepped forward, listening intently. At last, the music swelled, signaling her entrance. Looping her arm through her father's, Hermione began her walk down the aisle.

Star Cottage's garden was lovely on a normal day, but now, it was simply spectacular. Rows of wooden chairs with plush white cushions sat neatly on either side of the aisle, gauzy silver and gold bows decorating their backs. A tent filled with similar chairs set around matching tables, all prepped for the reception, waited in another part of the garden. Ginny had giggled for ages when she'd pointed out that Hermione had unknowingly incorporated all of Gryffindor and Slytherin's house colors into the wedding scheme – silver and gold décor, Ginny's green dress, and the pink flowers, which were close enough to red – but the effect was actually quite nice.

The guests rose as one at Hermione's entrance, many of them emitting soft but audible exclamations over her dress. Harry and Ron grinned broadly, and Mrs. Weasley dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Hermione's eyes, however, were focused up front, where Draco stood waiting for her. Even though he'd just seen her moments before, he still wore that same wondrous look upon his face, and his grin never once subsided as she made her way towards him. Hermione's father dropped one last kiss on her cheek before placing her hand in Draco's and stepping back to take his place in the front row. Hermione and Draco turned to face one another as their guests reclaimed their seats.

"Welcome to all," Minerva McGonagall addressed the assembly. She had played such a central role in making Hermione's dream come true, that same dream that had brought Draco and Hermione together, that the couple had only felt it right to ask her to officiate.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the wedding of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger. Not so long ago, perhaps, the mere thought of such a statement would never have been possible, but these two have come farther than anyone could ever have anticipated, and I for one am quite proud to be standing here before you today.

"The couple have decided to write their own vows, which they will share with you now. Miss Granger, if you please?" Hermione smiled.

"Draco…Professor McGonagall is right in saying that this" – she gestured between the two of them – "wouldn't have even been a possibility not so long ago. To say we didn't get along in school would be an understatement – we were always at each other's throats in one way or another. But circumstances change, and I got a rare second chance. Skeptical though I might've been at first, I gave that second chance the attention it deserved…and came out with so much more than I'd been expecting. We certainly didn't walk the easy road to get here, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Mrs. Weasley wasn't the only one clutching a handkerchief by the time Hermione had finished speaking.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to follow that, but I'll try," Draco replied, several people chuckling at his response. "Granger – and yes, part of you will always be 'Granger' to me – I hardly know where to begin. In school, while I had more issue with your friends, you were still a constant thorn in my side. No matter how hard I tried, you always took the top spot, and I was always furious with myself because I knew you deserved it – as much as my younger self hated to admit it, you are brilliant. But as you said, circumstances change – fast forward a few years to the first time I knocked on your office door. To this day, I still hardly know why I did it, but I'm glad I did. I finally got a chance to get to know the person behind the brilliance, and while you're still intimidating as anything and probably always will be, I also know how kind, passionate, and fiercely loyal you are. I still don't know what I did to deserve you, but I thank my lucky stars daily for whatever it might've been." Hermione choked on a little sob and discreetly brushed away the dampness gathering on her lashes.

"And now, the rings." Theo stepped forward, retrieving the rings from his pocket and dropping them into Professor McGonagall's outstretched hand.

"Mr. Malfoy, do you take Miss Granger to be your wife? Do you promise to honor and cherish her, to love her in good times and bad, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Draco said confidently.

"And Miss Granger, do you take Mr. Malfoy to be your husband? Do you promise to honor and cherish him, to love him in good times and bad, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Hermione's eyes were still a little wet, but her smile was no less radiant.

"Let these rings be a symbol of your promises to one another." Professor McGonagall offered the couple the rings, and in turn, they slipped the bands on each other's fingers. The headmistress smiled.

"I wish you many long and happy years together," she said. "Mr. Malfoy, you may kiss your bride." Not needing to be told twice, Draco swept Hermione into his arms and dipped her into a kiss, much to the delight of the cheering onlookers. When they broke apart, neither could contain their giddy grins, and they hurried back up the aisle hand in hand.

Now that the ceremony was done, it was time for the magical portion of the event. While the guests mingled and chatted, Draco, Hermione, Theo, Ginny, and Professor McGonagall returned to Star Cottage. The legal marriage documents, both Muggle and Wizarding, sat waiting on the kitchen table.

"Gather around, please," Professor McGonagall instructed. The four young people did as requested, Draco and Hermione in the middle, with Theo and Ginny on either side.

"The vows we speak here will be much like the vows in your ceremony," Professor McGonagall explained. "Draco, Hermione, please grasp hands." The couple did so, and Professor McGonagall placed her wand on top of their intertwined fingers.

"We are here today to witness the magical marriage of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger," she said. "A marriage bond is a beautiful thing, linking a couple in ways that few could ever fully understand. It is a symbol of your love and devotion, and if fate is on your side, will only strengthen with time. It is a sacred vow and not something to be taken lightly – are you both ready and willing to proceed?"

"I am," Hermione stated.

"I am," Draco agreed. Professor McGonagall smiled.

"Then let the vow be spoken. Draco, do you take Hermione as your magically wedded wife, to treasure in times of joy and times of sorrow, to love for better or for worse, to accompany through all of life's adventures and uncertainties, from now through the rest of your days?"

"I do." A stream of pearly light shot forth from the professor's wand to twine around the couple's hands.

"Hermione, do you take Draco as your magically wedded husband, to treasure in times of joy and times of sorrow, to love for better or for worse, to accompany through all of life's adventures and uncertainties, from now through the rest of your days?"

"I do." A second thread, this one a deep blue, joined the first.

"Then I declared you magically bonded for life." The two ribbons of light twisted around one another until they merged into a single beam of pure white light, which slowly settled into the couple's hands before disappearing.

"Beautiful," Ginny murmured.

"Indeed it was," Professor McGonagall agreed. "Now, I do believe a certain Mr. Ronald Weasley will be particularly anxious to dig into the wedding feast, if the looks I saw him giving the cake were any indication, so let's sign the documents and be done." Hermione chuckled.

"Ron and food…some things never change," she said, shaking her head fondly. She and Draco each picked up the beautiful quills set aside for the signing and reached for the documents, scrawling their signatures in the appropriate places before handing the quills to Ginny and Theo. While their friends and witnesses signed, Draco drew Hermione close.

"Ready to celebrate, Mrs.…" Draco paused. "What did you decide about your name, anyway?" Hermione giggled.

"Granger-Malfoy," she said. "Why settle for one world when I can have the best of both?"

"Two sides of the same coin," Draco agreed. "It's perfect."

And indeed it was.

A/N: And that's a wrap! I cannot apologize enough for the quite frankly ridiculous delay in finishing this story - real life got in the way big time (still is, tbh) & I had some serious writer's block on top of that. I finally decided I just needed to sit down & finish the thing to get it off my mind, so here it is. I hope you all enjoyed the long-awaited Dramione wedding!

Thank you for sticking with me throughout this little duology - I hope you enjoyed. Not sure when I'll be back with a new story, but I'm sure inspiration will strike at some point. In the meantime, thank you all again for being such wonderful readers! I couldn't ask for better. :)

~Sammy