Jaded (Rewritten)

Chapter Twenty One: Ever after

It had been a year since Hermione and Draco had first confessed their love under the moonlit roses, and they were finally ready to begin their next chapter. The journey hadn't been an easy stroll through the gardens; it had been a year of learning, of growing, and of stubborn pride clashing against iron will. There had been countless heated arguments and a few "pseudo-breakups" that lasted only until the sun went down, but through the friction, they had forged something unbreakable. Love, it turned out, was far stronger than their petty squabbles.

Now, they were knee-deep in the reality of their "forever." Today was the fateful day they would join their hearts and bind their futures; the day Hermione Jean Granger and Draco Lucius Malfoy would prove to a cynical world that happily ever after truly exist—even for the most jaded and broken among them.

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The big day had finally arrived, and in true Hermione Granger fashion, her something borrowed was apparently a stack of Ministry paperwork and her something blue was the ink on a final signature.

"What the bloody hell are you still doing here?! You're supposed to be at Rose Cottage!"

Hermione tore her eyes away from the thick stack of parchment she was perusing and stared at her best friend, who was standing in her office doorway looking utterly bewildered. "I know, Harry, but I realized I forgot to sign Mr. Digby's proposal!"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, his brows furrowing in deep suspicion. "Did Digby put you up to this? On your wedding morning?"

"Of course not! He doesn't even know I'm here," Hermione replied, her quill scratching frantically across the page. She blew on the ink of the last parchment and let out a triumphant breath. "There. I'm done. Officially."

Harry moved toward the desk and snatched the parchment from Hermione's hands before she could find anything else to proofread. "I've got this. I'll take it to Digby's office personally. Now, get out of here before Torry and Ginny start hunting you down with their wands drawn."

Hermione let out a visible shudder, the image of a vengeful Ginny Weasley crossing her mind. "Don't remind me."

Harry cracked a mischievous smile. "By the way, how did you even manage to escape them? Last I heard, they had you under house arrest at the cottage."

"Uhm—I may have locked them out of my bedroom," Hermione admitted with a small, sheepish grin. "I'm quite sure they're still trying to break through my warding charms as we speak."

Harry let out a jovial, booming laugh. "Good one, 'Mione! Brilliant!"

Hermione smirked, feeling a bit of that old Gryffindor spark. "Well, I really should go. I don't want them barging in here and—"

"HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER! I cannot believe you!"

Harry cringed, his shoulders hunching up to his ears. "Too late. They've tracked the scent of your workaholism."

Hermione slumped back against her desk and let out a long, theatrical groan.

Ginny was standing in the doorway, her hands planted firmly on her hips, her hair looking slightly windswept from a frantic search. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" she yelled.

Astoria stepped in behind her, throwing her husband a lethal glare before shifting her eyes to the bride. "It is your wedding day, in case the white dress in your closet didn't tip you off!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide her smile. she grabbed her satchel from the chair. "Calm down, ladies. It's only ten a.m. We still have seven hours until the ceremony."