The Silver Envelope

The Guestlist

With the wedding rapidly approaching, Hermione found herself increasingly involved in its planning. The Monday before the event, her work was put on hold when she received a summons to meet with the Minister. She'd arrived in the meeting room to find Kingsley Shacklebolt presiding over a roomful of several Aurors, Harry and Ginny, Arthur Weasley, Event Coordinator Henrietta Blanc, Ministry Press Secretary Llewellyn Grace, Professor Flitwick, and numerous other important Ministry figures with whom Hermione had only passing acquaintance. Apparently, her Ministry clearance along with her close friendship with Harry was sufficient to get her invited to the final wedding security meeting. Hermione wasn't too surprised to find out that Harry's wedding would be so heavily monitored by the Ministry, especially since the Minister himself was invited. In fact, the whole guestlist practically served as a "who's who" of the most well-known figures in wizarding Britain.
She was charged with joining Professor Flitwick and a few Aurors in preparing the venue with the many protective charms that were necessary to keep the high-profile event both secure and relatively secret. Others were involved in confirming the strict guestlist, arranging for transportation, liaising with the vendors and the press, and working with the local muggle population of the area. The wedding security had been a massive effort that was put into motion months ago, but Hermione hadn't been summoned to help in an official capacity until they needed all hands on deck.
Her work on level four was postponed for the week. Arrangements had been made for the necessary personnel to arrive in Barbados days before the event to prepare the location. Hermione would have gone with them, but Ginny insisted that she stay for her hen party on Thursday night.
She would go the following morning instead.
Dinner with the Weasley family went well. Harry and Ginny attended too, and Hermione was pleased that their presence relieved some of the attention that was on her. Although Molly gave her a hug that was much longer than usual, and Arthur gave her a knowing wink. Hermione hoped they weren't under the impression that she and Ron would be getting back together, but she didn't know how to raise the subject tactfully.
She had to admit, it was a relief to be too busy to think much about Draco. She had sent him a note to let him know that she would be busy until after the wedding. The fact that he didn't respond both relieved and concerned her.
By Friday night, as Hermione sat in a secluded section of Blotto's (the wizarding bar Ginny had chosen for her hen party), nursing a fruity cocktail that was emitting pink vapor, she had managed to convince herself that she wasn't concerned in the least about Draco.
At least, she had until Ginny dropped down next to her, piss-drunk and giggling profusely, and shouted over the music, "You look sad, 'mione! Are you missing Malfoy or something?"
"What?" Hermione said. "Why would you think that?"
"What about Malfov?"
' shouted Valmai Morgan, one of Ginny's friends from the Holyhead
Harpies, coming to sit down next to them. She swished her long black hair behind her shoulder and leaned in to hear better.
"Hermione's goin' out with 'im," Ginny slurred, grinning at Luna.
"No. I am not!" Hermione said, bristling.
"I thought you were with Ron," Valmai said, her Welsh accent coming out thicker due to the drinks she'd had.
"I am! I mean, I was. We broke up," Hermione said.
"And now Malfoy's been hangin' round," Ginny said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively and poking her elbow into Hermione's side. "He's fit too, now that he isn't all evil and stuff."
Hermione groaned, banging her forehead down on the table.
Luna floated over, apparently finished dancing like a woodland pixie for the moment.
"What are we talking about?" she asked brightly.
"Hermione and Malfoy," Ginny and Valmai answered in tandem.
"Ooh, Draco Malfoy?" she said, taking the last seat around their table. "He's dreamy. When I was imprisoned in the basement of his house, he was always much nicer to me than the others."
The conversation ground to a screeching halt. Hermione blanched.

"Er, that's nice to hear, Luna," Ginny said, attempting to contain her horror.
"I'm not dating him," Hermione said again. "We're just friends."
Ginny and Valmai exchanged a look of disbelief.
But no matter how many times Hermione loudly insisted that she wasn't involved with Draco, none of the other ladies seemed to believe her. Eventually, she gave up. She barely believed herself
anyway.
She was the first to leave the hen party, citing an early departure time for the next morning.
As she hugged Ginny goodnight, Hermione heard her friend murmur, "You're too good for him anyway, 'mione."
Hermione didn't want to know which one Ginny meant.