You and Me, Forever - Romione

050. Together

Ron stood at the end of the aisle, his palms sweating and feeling slightly nauseated. His brothers and Harry stood to Ron's left, and Ginny, Luna, and three of Hermione's other friends stood to his right. Small orbs of yellow light floated along the walls, casting the entire hall in a golden glow. The orchestra began to swell, and all of Ron and Hermione's friends and family stood up and watched the entrance. The ushers pulled the doors apart, and Ron's knees almost gave out.

Hermione was. . . she looked. . . wow. Her hair was sleek and pulled into an intricate hairstyle, but pieces of hair couldn't be tamed and stuck out of the up-do in spirals. Ron thought it made her look even more beautiful. Her face was glowing as she walked down the aisle with her dad, her smile threatening to turn Ron's already-shaky legs into jelly.

When she made it to the altar, Ron looked into her eyes and thought he might melt right on the spot. Throughout the entire ceremony, he was unable to tear his eyes off her. Half the words the minister said sounded garbled, because to Ron, Hermione was the only thing in the room worth paying attention to.

"Ronald, your vows," the officiant finally said. Ron nodded and swallowed nervously, wiping his palms on his pants.

"When you said goodbye to me last night, you asked if I had finished my vows yet, and I said yes. You didn't believe me."

The crowd chuckled and Hermione let out a signature twinkling laugh as a single tear slid down her face.

"Truth is, I'd written and rewritten my vows so many times, I lost track. I mean, how do you fit a decade of history into a single speech? I kept asking myself. . . which of the thousands of moments with you do I include? Should I talk about how, when we first met, I thought you were incredibly annoying, but by the end of the year, you were one of my best friends? Or should I say that we fought every day of our third year, but you were still always by my side when I needed you most? Or should I talk about the fact that I tried to deny my feelings for you for years? Tried to pretend that it was normal for your brain to stop functioning when your best friend walked into a room or to blush every time you accidentally touched her hand or to smell her perfume in Amortentia."

Hermione bit her lip and let out a breathy laugh, her eyes gazing into Ron's with so much intensity, he didn't know how he'd be able to continue. But he took a deep breath and kept going.

"Hermione, you are my rock, my biggest supporter, my best friend, and the love of my life. I can't wait to spend every single day with you by my side."

Tears were rolling down Hermione's face steadily now, and she fanned at her face, her eyes and smile bright.

"I wish I had offered to say my vows first because there's no way I can top that," she said with a laugh, "but here goes.

"Ron, if you could see yourself the way I see you. . . you'd never want to look away. You are loyal and humble and compassionate and brave. You were the kind of boy who took on a troll to keep me safe. The kind of boy who was ready to attack someone with slugs to defend me. You became the kind of man who crashed through a chandelier to protect me. The kind of man who got over your fear of planes in a split second to comfort me. The kind of man who follows yellow balls of light just to get back to me."

She gestured to the glowing spheres around the room, and Ron's chest filled with warmth. He gazed down at Hermione, so much love in his heart, he didn't think he could contain it.

"Ron, you're everything I want and everything I need. You fill my life with adventure, and laughter, and so so much love. I'm yours. Forever."

Ron's eyes filled, and he waited patiently—actually, it wasn't patiently at all—for the officiator to get to the 'kiss the bride' part.

It finally came, and Ron leaned down to kiss his. . . wife. He could get used to saying that. He wrapped his arms around Hermione, holding her firmly against him, and kissed her as if no one else existed. He pulled away to the sound of his friends and family cheering, but they sounded like they were underwater. Everything but Hermione was blurred and out of focus. Ron didn't mind, though.

"I love you," he whispered, his voice so soft, only Hermione could hear it. Tears glinted in both of their eyes. "You and me, forever."