Forced into Love

Prologue

It was perfect. Her dress was perfect. Her make-up perfect. Even her damn shoes were perfect. Everything was perfect except for the man. The weather was perfect, sunny with only a few clouds in the sky. The one day England decided against rain was the day she wanted to do nothing more then cry herself. She was wearing the most beautiful dress she had ever seen but she couldn't bring herself to care. She was the image of the perfect bride and she couldn't be more disgusted with herself because of it.

She had allowed this to happen. She had allowed him to talk her into marrying a man who looked down upon her. She had allowed herself to be condemned to a fate that she had never wanted. She had allowed this to happen and she hated herself for that.

"You look beautiful." A voice said from the doorway. She turned around to see Harry leaning against the doorway giving her the best attempt of a smile he could. He didn't understand why she was doing this, she didn't think he ever would, but he was doing his best to be supportive, just like any good friend should.

"Thank you." She said with a shaky smile, "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Of course I am." She said, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because your about to walk down the aisle to your doom." He said.

"Don't be overly dramatic Harry." She said moving over to the vanity that Ginny had done her make-up at what seemed like hours ago.

"I don't think I'm being dramatic, I think I'm being truthful." He said, "Hermione we all know what he's capable of."

"He's not Voldemort Harry." She said defensively.

"But he's no saint either. His wife left him because she almost died Hermione, do you really want the same thing to happen to you?"

"That was different and you know it." She said, "That was a different time, things have changed since then, you know that."

"All I know is that the Hermione Granger I know would fight this. She would not walk down that aisle willingly, no matter what the cost."

"Don't, don't do it Harry." She said, "If you give me a chance to back out then I'll want to take it. And I'll curse myself for not taking it every time the marriage becomes too hard handle. So don't Harry. Just don't."

"Hermione…"

"The weddings going to start soon." She told him, "You should go take your seat." She turned back to the mirror, pretending to smooth out folds that both knew weren't there. She heard him pause in the doorway and she knew that he was watching her, trying to think of something, anything, to keep her from doing this but a moment later she heard him continue. She waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps before she let the first teardrop fall.