The Wedding
Thursday afternoon found Hermione sitting in her parent's living room talking to Dobby the house elf.
"So if we could some how get one done properly by an elfin elder, we would be totally bonded, body, heart, mind, and soul?" she asked.
"Yes Miss Hermyninny, fully and totally for all time," Dobby answered,
"And has this ever been done on a human before?" Hermione asked trying to verify her research done over many years in her other life.
"Yes Miss Hermyninny, just the once that I knows of, and it was the great masters downfall, when his bonded one turned to the dark arts," Dobby said a very worried look on his face.
"The great Master Dobby, do you mean Merlin, it was the bonding that allowed that evil Morgana to defeat him?" Hermione was fascinated it seemed the very rare handwritten book she had found ten years before had been right, now all she had to do was to get the ceremony completed.
"Yes Miss Hermyninny," Dobby replied.
"So do you think you can you arrange it for two-o-clock on Saturday afternoon at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked the elf with a pleading look.
"Yes Miss Hermyninny, my great uncle is an elder, we'se will be at the great school as you ask," Dobby said still looking a little sad "Master Harry might suffer pain, I is not liking that, but if I is to help the great Harry Potter I is having to do it."
Hermione could not resist getting down on her knees and kissing the elf's cheeks, and giving him a huge hug "this will do more than free Harry it will help to defeat Voldemort too, so thank you so much."
Sirius looked up from his hunched position on the chair opposite Hermione, "I hope this works Hermione, I should hate to see the boy in pain and suffering for nothing."
"Has Dumbledore agreed to get us into the locked room," Hermione asked whilst not actually looking at the worried man, she was just as worried.
"Yes five-o-clock Saturday evening, but…" Sirius trailed off nodding his head slowly.
"I can assure you Sirius, there are just two ways to be sure that it is destroyed, I think I would rather see my Harry in pain for a while, than to have him die and hope he can come back from it again," Hermione said her voice showing more confidence than she felt "the first two ceremonies will weaken it's hold on him and the third one will rid him of it, and destroy it as well."
As soon as a rather red faced Dobby had left them, someone set of the ward alarms, Hermione followed by Sirius, moved faster than she had for quite some time as she rushed from the house ready to take on any Death Eaters that might have found them, running down the garden path Hermione slid to a halt as Harry and her dad were helping Tonks out of the hedge.
"We got it love, we get married at the local chapel at eleven on Saturday morning so we can start to send out our invites," a rather jubilant Harry said as he happily waved a Muggle form around.
"Sorry about the ward alarm," Tonks said as she finally got to her feet.
"She tripped over the step when she led us in," Mr Granger laughed.
With laughter ringing through the garden Hermione led Harry up to the house and then on up to her room, where she explained what was going to happen on Saturday. Harry spent a few minutes telling her how he had had to offer several bribes to the chapel officials to get all the paperwork done and have the usual six week wait while the bans were published, an old English Muggle custom, pushed down to just two days.
Their next task was two fold, Hermione needed to visit the Burrow to talk to Ginny, while Harry had to set about sending out the invites to their wedding, it was going to be a rather small affair with only very close family and friends, among those to invite were Neville and Remus, they needed to be asked to attend, one as the best man and the other to help represent Harry's family along with Sirius, the Weasley family, Luna and three of their other friends from school, Katie Bell, Collin Creevey who they wanted to do the photographs, Alicia and Angelina, Harry's Quidditch team mates.
Hermione kissed Harry rather passionately before she left him in the bedroom writing out the various parchments, It did not take her long to arrive once again at the Burrow, this time though she knocked on the kitchen door and waited, she was greeted just seconds later by Fred or George, she could never tell who was who when it came to the twins, Molly Weasley the Weasley matriarch almost crushed Hermione's ribs as she welcomed the girl she had once hoped would become her official daughter in law, she had now accepted that she would instead become her surrogate daughter in law when she and Harry, the boy she had all but officially adopted, finally decided to settle down.
Molly could see that there was something exciting on the young woman's mind, but she said nothing as she sent George upstairs to fetch Ginny, then she turned to the stove and began to make a pot of tea.
The speed Ginny came running down the stairs surprised everyone including Hermione.
"Is he alright?" Ginny asked before she had reached the bottom step, her face full of fear.
Hermione smiled at the show of worry in Ginny's eyes as they greeted each other "Harry's fine Gin, but I need to talk to you… in private."
Ginny having looked around the kitchen and glared at her twin brothers gestured for Hermione to follow her outside where the twins extendable ears could not reach them. A short walk toward the village of Ottery St Catchpole brought them to a small hump backed bridge that crossed the boundary stream of the Weasley land.
"We can talk here Hermione, no fear of those brothers of mine or anyone else being able to sneak up on us here," Ginny said quietly as she wondered why they needed the secrecy.
"I need to know exactly how you feel about Harry, it's extremely important," Hermione said as she leant on the coping stones of the bridge looking down into the water.
"I love him more than life itself," came from a rather quiet voice from beneath the bridge, "I think I loved him last year as well, but not quite as much, something about those green eyes attracted me first."
"Luna?" chorused Hermione and Ginny as they leaned over the coping to look down.
"Oh it's alright, I know he doesn't love me, though I do think he likes me as a friend," Luna Lovegood announced "That's why I'm here, I was just sending a wish down the stream to the river sprites to help me find a new love."
"Luna, would you be willing to risk your very soul for him?" Hermione asked seriously "and you Gin, would you risk your soul for Harry."
"You do know that losing your soul is worse than losing your life don't you?" Luna asked, her usual vacant look even more obvious because it was no longer there, instead she was regarding Hermione with a piercing look that seemed to see right into the older girls heart.
"But to answer your question, I really do love Harry, and will do anything I can to help him, I know my dad says that I'm to young to be in love, but I think that he is wrong, like most adults he has forgotten that the young can love just as fiercely and deeply as the older people, our bodies are ready to bring new life into the world so why should our hearts be any different."
Hermione and Ginny, stared at Luna for a few moments then Hermione walked the short distance to reach Luna and grabbed the younger girl in a tight hug "I some times forget just how wise you are Luna," she said as she let her go from the hug "and thanks."
Together Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, took a very slow walk back to the Burrow as Hermione told them of what she had planned for them to do at five on the coming Saturday afternoon.
They arrived back at the Burrow to find a rather flustered Molly Weasley trying to coax Hedwig, Harry's owl, down from on top of the large welsh dresser she used to store her best porcelain dinner ware on, while the twins Fred and George stood watching and laughed.
As soon as Ginny entered the kitchen Hedwig swooped down onto her shoulder and gracefully offered her leg, where a small roll of parchment was tied.
Ginny removed the parchment and began to read the short note.
Hedwig then hopped over to Luna and did the same thing with the other leg.
"Well what's it say?" asked one of the twins looking at his gaping sister.
Ginny stared wide eyed at Hermione, "Hermione Jane Granger, why didn't you tell us, how on earth could you keep it quiet like that, why would you keep it quiet?"
"It wasn't easy Gin, believe me," Hermione chuckled as Ginny grabbed her in a hug and giggled "besides Harry wanted to be the one to tell you."
"You are going to have to make more visits here now you know, I'm quite sure mum will teach you how to make that favourite sweet of his," Ginny said still giggling.
"Will one of you girls please tell me what is going on?" Molly asked sounding exasperated.
"Oh nothing much, it's just an invite for us to attend Harry and Hermione's wedding at eleven on Saturday morning," Ginny said grinning at her mothers reaction.
Luna stood to the side and read the invite from Harry, and then began to cry gently into her hands; both Ginny and Hermione were followed by Molly as they hugged the blond haired young witch.
"Luna dear, what ever is the matter?" Molly asked as she rubbed the girls back.
"I never had any real friends before," Luna said wiping away her tears.
At precisely eleven-o-clock on Saturday morning Harry turned around to look behind him, and watched as the most beautiful sight he had ever seen or was likely to see, walked slowly down the aisle of the small chapel toward him. Hermione on her fathers arm smiled at him through her veil making his knees tremble, she was dressed in a rose white Muggle wedding gown, the low cut off the shoulder bodice was formed to show off her figure while the bottom part of the dress was designed like a six petal upside down rose covering several stiff petticoats that reached down to the floor, the entire dress was covered in a sheer material that was elaborately decorated with intricately embroidered pure white roses, a long white train with matching roses was held up by the two brides maids Ginny and Luna, on her feet she wore a pair of white shoes with a stiletto heel slightly taller than the ones she wore to the Yule ball.
Harry let a tear fall as Mr Granger placed Hermione's hand in his, then went and joined his weepy wife on the front pew, Harry looked deep into Hermione's eyes then they both turned as the vicar began the service with "Dearly beloved we are gathered here to join this man and this woman…"
Harry heard nothing more as he stared at the beauty that had just two years ago, been called plain Hermione Granger bookworm, by the daily prophet, and she was now a beautiful woman and was about to become his wife, he wondered at how his luck had finally changed from bad to amazingly good.
Neville gave Harry a nudge in his ribs bringing him back to the here and now as the Vicar stood and stared at him.
"Sorry," Harry stuttered.
"I believe you wish to say something of your own before we say the vows," the Vicar whispered with a slight wink.
Harry nodded as he took both of Hermione's hands in his and then began saying the words from his heart.
"Hermione, my love for you began small and unrecognised when we first met on the Hogwarts express, slowly but surely day by day as the years have passed it grew deeper and stronger until the day you kissed me and it was no longer possible to hide it, or deny it, now that love fills every part of my heart and is still growing, with the promise that I will love you for all time and more, I offer myself to you as your husband for all eternity."
Hermione smiled at him, she had not really expected her quiet Harry to say something so touching. "Harry I love you with all that I am, I have loved you for as long as I have known you, I won't claim that I shall love you till the day I die, because I know this love will last beyond death and throughout eternity, I will love you for all time and more, and I offer myself as your wife for all eternity."
Having made their private promises the ceremony continued, Harry shed another tear when he said boldly "I do," to the Vicars question "do you Harry James Potter, take Hermione Jane Granger to be your lawful wedded wife to have and to hold in sickness and in health till death do you part." He then slipped the plain gold ring on Hermione's finger.
Hermione's cheeks were also glistening with tears as the words she had longed to say for so many years left her lips "I do," she placed the wedding ring she held on to Harry's finger and felt her legs go weak.
When the vicar informed them they could now kiss, a bright golden light enveloped Harry and Hermione as two thick golden ropes appeared from nowhere and gently wrapped around the kissing couple, it was a sight that very few people had ever seen, it was the magical binding of hearts and souls.
Ginny Weasley nodded as she watched the magical ropes bind her two friends, she knew then that Hermione truly did love the man she herself loved enough to watch him marry another, and to wish him a lifetime of happiness.
A rather surprised vicar concluded the service by asking them to sign their names in the marriage register; it would be the very last time Hermione signed her name as Granger.
Arthur Weasley performed a quick memory charm on the vicar making him forget seeing the golden binding, before every one left the chapel and made their way back to the Grangers for the small celebration.
Albus Dumbledore was conspicuous by his absence at the wedding reception, neither Harry nor Hermione had wanted to invite the old wizard, as far as they were concerned he had harmed Harry enough, and they would take no chance on him stopping their marriage.
Sitting alone in his office Albus looked up as he felt a change in the magic around him, then quietly he lifted a small glass of mead and took a small sip, before he set about writing out another entry into his very own personal journal, then hiding it on top of his tallest book case.
Albus wondered absently what world changing event had just affected the planets magic but then he shrugged the thought away as a knock on his door reminded him he had a meeting with Severus Snape.