She looked beautiful, if she did say so herself. The dress was a floor-length, empire wasted traditional wedding gown. It took forever in the shop to find it . . . but when she first slipped it on and looked at herself in the dressing-room mirror, she knew it was the one. Not only was it in the traditional white, but also the silk hugged her curves so well that Ginny commented that she gave the Greek Goddesses a run for their money. This comment made Hermione laugh and purchase the dress five minutes later.
When she turned around, a collective chorus of 'ooh's and 'ahh's were emitted throughout the room. Only Ginny had seen the dress on her before. Mrs. Weasley got up from her place on the corner armchair and gave her a motherly embrace. She pulled away and looked Hermione in the eyes, "You look magnificent."
Hermione blushed, "Thank-you, Molly."
Mrs. Weasley let her go and went to the dresser towards the back of her bedroom. Hermione's brow furrowed at her movement. Mrs. Weasley's hands found a box atop the oak piece of furniture and pulled it out of its place. She walked up to Hermione and opened the box to her. Hermione gasped. Inside of the box was a diamond necklace so sheer in its elegance that she felt tears forming in her eyes.
"I want you to wear it."
"I can't . . ." Hermione replied.
"Yes you can." Mrs. Weasley said while taking it out of its case. She motioned for Hermione to turn around, which she hesitantly did. She felt the coldness of the metal, which held the necklace together against her skin. Mrs. Weasley secured the clip and turned Hermione over to her again.
"If anyone deserves to wear it, it's you, Hermione." She said with a smile.
"Yeah." Ginny and Luna piped up. Their lavender bridesmaids dresses swooshed around their feet as they made their way to them.
"It totally completes the outfit." Ginny said.
"You'll have Harry drooling at the mere sight of you!" Luna said.
Hermione laughed and shook her head, causing her curls to sway around her shoulders. Hermione looked around the room and smiled to herself.
"It's time." Mrs. Weasley said as she checked the clock.
Hermione's heart started to pump ten times its normal rate. Her body was sweating and her hands became clammy. Luna noticed her movements and placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. Hermione smiled back and took the hand that Mrs. Weasley was offering her.
Down the stairs of the Burrow they went. Each step made Hermione more and more anxious. When they finally reached the back door, they opened up to let Ginny and Luna though. Hermione looked towards Mrs. Weasley for some silent re-assurance.
"You'll be fine, dear." She replied to her plea.
She sure hoped so.
The doors opened a second time and Mrs. Weasley locked arms with her and led her down the aisle. Hermione gasped when she saw how the layout turned out. The carpet she was walking on was a crème color and lined with light pink rose petals. The chairs on either side of the carpet were filled with all of her and Harry's friends and family. Not one photographer there, much to her pleasure. When she looked up her breath stopped.
Underneath the arch at the end of the walkway was Harry, dressed in his best. He turned towards her and their eyes locked. Hermione thought he looked positively handsome in his tuxedo. His hair was still a mess, but that was how she liked it. When she and Mrs. Weasley reached the arch, Hermione felt her arm being let go of.
Harry beamed at her as he reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers. They both smiled at each other and turned to face the priest. Since they both had a muggle upbringing, they chose to have a muggle wedding as well as a wizarding one.
"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Miss Hermione Jane Granger and Mister Harry James Potter in holy matrimony."
The ceremony passed with many tears, most being emitted from Mrs. Weasley, whom was sitting in the front row. All the while, Hermione couldn't help catching Harry's eye every few minutes throughout the priest's speech. This didn't go un-noticed, unbeknownst to the couple.
Harry and Hermione were only drawn out of their revere twice, once being only to emit the infamous words "I Do.". The other to kiss each other, and bring their marriage to life.
When their lips met, a round of deafening applause emitted from the crowd and caused the newlyweds to smile.
Hermione's flashback dream was cut short by the cries of her four-month-old daughter, Lily. She groaned; this was the third night in a row that she had been woken up at an ungodly hour of the morning. When she glanced at the clock it read seven-thirty. Ever since her marriage to Harry, she had caught on to his ability to sleep in for an unprecedented amount of hours.
Harry's arm tightened around her waist and he mumbled, "Just go back to sleep."
"I wish I could." She said before throwing off the covers of their bed.
"Hey!" Harry yelped, "just because you can't fall back to sleep doesn't mean that the rest of us won't be able to."
Hermione smiled, "It's August thirtieth, Harry."
"Damnit," he mumbled before giving up and sitting upward. Hermione giggled, his hair was still as untidy as ever.
He knew what she was thinking, "Shut up."
Hermione heard footsteps behind her and turned around; there stood James. His green eyes still had red circles under them from lack of sleep and his hair was just as messy as Harry's. "Please shut her up . . . she's driving me insane!"
"Don't talk about your sister like that." Hermione scorned, "She's not even a year old."
"No, not that one . . ." James said, moving aside and pointing to his right, "This little mistake."
"I am not a mistake. That would be your area of expertise." Emma said with a smirk. Emma was their second born, and at the tender age of fourteen, as perky and quick-witted as her mother. Her dark brown hair was in a mess (it seemed to be a dominant trait in this household), but her emerald eyes were bright and awake as ever.
"Shut up you twit."
"Jeeze . . . just because your PMS doesn't mean you have to release your wrath on everyone else. Do us all a favor and go eat some chocolate in your corner."
James just glared at her, "You see what I mean?"
Hermione just shook her head and smiled. "Where's Daniel?"
"He's been up since six . . . reading." Emma spit out in disgust.
This caused Harry to emit in chuckles and Hermione to glare. "Go get him and tell him that breakfast will be ready within the hour."
"Fine." James said, turning around and heading down the hall to Daniel's room.
"You know . . . I hate August thirtieth." Harry said.
"Oh c'mon . . . it's not that bad." As soon as Hermione said that they both heard a crash from downstairs, followed by a "GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE NERD-BOMBER!".
"I spoke to soon." Hermione said, walking out of their master bedroom and into the hallway. She found Daniel still in his room, sitting Indian-style on his carpet, a book nestled into his lap and his head bent down low.
Hermione smiled and walked into the room. Daniel heard his mother's steps and looked up. "Do you want to come down for breakfast this morning, Dan?"
Daniel closed his book, folding the page where he left off and followed Hermione out of the room and into the kitchen downstairs. Inside, she found James chasing Emma around the island in the middle and both with a mischievous glint in their eyes.
"Alright, fun's over." Hermione told the two. They immediately straightened up and walked to the dining table towards the corner. "Now . . . the Weasley's and Malfoy's will be over at noon. And I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. Right kids?"
They all muttered their 'yes's.
"Good. Now I want all of you to get ready for breakfast. That includes washing up quickly with no thirty-minute showers."
"Yeah Emma." James said.
"Shut up wanker."
"Emma Marie, there is no need for such fowl language under my roof."
"Sorry Mum." She lied.
"Right . . . now off you get."
They all filed out of the room and when out of Hermione's eyesight, started to sprint for the nearest washroom to get dibs on the first warm shower. Hermione sighed and started to gather the ingredients for her annual pancake breakfast. While the skillet began to warm up, she heard Harry come up behind her with Lily in his arms. She turned around and sighed.
"Sometimes you have to pay for wanting a big family." She told him.
"I'll say." Harry replied, placing Lily in her high chair and heading to the fridge to get her some food. "But I think we're doing a fair job at it."
"I think so too." Hermione said.
Harry rummaged through the many shelves of their refrigerator trying to find a jar of strained peaches for Lily to eat. Hermione was already ahead of him and grabbed the tiny spoon from its place in the drawer. She set it on the tiled countertop and watched Harry with an amused smile on her face.
"Where are the bleeding peaches?"
"Top shelf . . . right next to the eggs."
Harry let his eyes wander up there . . . and sure enough, there were the peaches. "Why do you always have to be right?" he grumbled.
Hermione just smiled and grabbed the spoon, so when Harry shut the door to the fridge and faced her, the spoon was in her hand and she was waving it around amusingly. "Give it to me, 'Mione."
"What's the magic word?"
"Porn."
"Ew, you pervert!"
Harry reached up and grabbed the spoon from her grasp. "It got the spoon away from you, didn't it? So is it really a bad thing."
" . . . yes." Hermione hesitated.
Harry shook his head and placed the peaches and spoon on the high chair. Hermione turned around when the timer for the skillet went off and started to pour the batter onto the hot surface.
Noon came too soon for the Potter household. Everyone was helping with the preparations one way or another. Emma was cleaning the top floor; James was cleaning the bottom (this was just to separate them from ever running into each other); Daniel was doing the laundry that was left around the house; even Lily was helping Harry with the dusting. Hermione was the inspector and made sure everyone was doing his or her job.
When the doorbell rang, everyone dropped their tool and rushed to put them in their proper place. Hermione walked towards the door and opened it to find Luna and Ron Weasley walk in with their two daughters following. Luna made to kiss Hermione's cheek, as her swollen stomach wouldn't allow her to hug anyone. Serena, the eldest of their daughters slipped off her shoes and went in search of the muggle television in their parlor. She, like her grandfather before her, was fascinated by all things muggle and always made a habit of coming over to ask another question about the muggle culture.
Daphne, however, was a very shy four and a half year old. Her bright red hair could've fooled anyone, though. She clung to her mother's leg and was carried into the kitchen, where Luna always automatically went.
Ron, however, greeted Hermione with a friendly hug and went to go find Harry. He did find him, putting a very cranky Lily down for a nap in her pink crib.
"How are ya, mate?" Ron greeted.
"I'm good."
"That's good."
They made their way down into the kitchen where they found Hermione and Luna talking animatedly about something. Sitting down, they continued catching up on old times and bragging about how their kids were going to do the best in Quidditch.
Ginny wasn't one to knock on doors, and that carried on throughout the years, and that rubbed off on her husband and son as well. She surprised everyone all those years go by going out and marrying one Draco Malfoy. It happened the summer before her seventh year. And by the time she finished school; they were engaged. No one complained, as Draco remained loyal to their side. They had a son together soon after their marriage, Matthew. He was fourteen now, the same as Emma, and had silky blonde hair and bright brown eyes.
The three entered the kitchen and politely greeted everyone. Matt set off to find Emma (as they were best friends) as soon as he said hello. Hermione smiled knowingly. That's how it always starts.
The tradition of August thirtieth always started with polite conversation and then lunch. When Hermione was finished making the elaborate meal, she called everyone down. They all gathered at the table and began to eat.
Emma and Matt sat by each other of course and began their conversation where they left off. "So are you excited for your fourth year?" Matt asked her.
"Ecstatic, actually." She replied, "That means I won't run into James most of the time."
"You know you will." He said with a smirk.
"Yeah . . . and then we'll both end up with detention . . . blah, blah, blah."
"You know, throughout the years we've know each other you've never told me why you two hate each other."
Emma grimaced, "He's just . . . a pain in the arse."
"I know that sibling rivalry plays some part in it . . . but that can't be all."
"Oh it isn't."
"Then tell me." He said, while taking a spoonful of macaroni and cheese.
She looked down at her plate; "It's stupid, really."
He looked straight at her, "Anything that has to do with you is not stupid."
She blushed, "Oh please, there are plenty of stupid things about me."
"Try me."
She took his challenge, "Well . . . I'm way too stubborn for one."
"Sometimes that's not such a bad thing, ya know." Matt said honestly, "I'd prefer someone who can hold up their opinion on something then give in so easily."
"Oh really?"
"Really."
"So you'd rather not have a girl who puts out on the first date?"
"I never said that!" Matt exclaimed.
"But it was implied." Emma said, smirking at her achievement.
"You forgot to add that you have an enormous ego. So big that I'm surprised your head hasn't fallen off!"
"I do not have a big ego!" she countered.
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"DO NOT!"
"DO T—"
"Ok, that's enough of that." Hermione interrupted. "Care to share with us what you two are fighting about."
"No tha—" Emma started, before Matt interrupted her with "We were just arguing about how big Emma's ego is."
"Matt!" Emma hissed.
"Well it is pretty big." James added.
"No one asked your opinion. You filthy little—"
"Emma." Her mother scorned, "Remember what I told you about fowl language."
"Sorry mum." She apologized while looking down at the oak table.
"Now lets change the subject to something more appropriate . . ."
The conversation went to their new year at Hogwarts and how it was Daniel's first year to the school. Emma and Matt strayed from the conversation (again) and continued their argument. Hermione noticed this . . . but didn't do anything to stop them.
Life was good for the Potter, Weasley, and Malfoy houses. No Dark Lord looming over them, no secrets, and no fate of the world resting in their hands . . . that they knew of.