Remember

Remember

She stood in front of the window of her apartment. The sun was shining brightly overhead. The day was warm and nice. The sky was light blue and completely-cloud-free. Several birds flew by her window, chirping happily. Two birds flew very close to each other; their wings were almost touching. They were obviously in love.

Her heart clenched painfully as though someone was squeezing it. She used to be like the birds, with her own lovebird... She quickly blinked away the tears that had started to form in her eyes. She couldn't cry now! Not today! This was her day! She should be happy. She was going to get married!

No longer able to hold back her tears, they ran down her cheeks like mighty rivers. Silently, she wept. Her knees gave away and she found herself kneeling on the carpeted floor, trembling from head to toe. She shouldn't feel this way! She knew that she was ruining her makeup, but she didn't care. She really wanted him back. Back in her arms...

She remembered kissing his soft lips, running her hand through his silvery blond hair. She remembered him holding her in his arms. She remembered him twirling her at the Graduation Ball. She remembered his gray eyes whenever he looked at her... they were always full of love. She remembered how his touch felt. She remembered his lips pressed onto hers in passionate kisses. She remembered the day he had whispered, "I love you" in her ear.

It was her wedding. However, the man she was going to marry wasn't the one she loved with every fiber of her existence. She wasn't going to marry the boy with blond hair and gray eyes. She wasn't going to marry the only person she would die for. No... that person already died... and right before her eyes. She let out a chocked sob.

Draco Malfoy had died to save her. Right before Voldemort had performed the Killing Curse, he had jumped in front of her, shielding her from the deadly curse. She still remembered that day vividly. It seemed that it was carved into her mind. She would always remember Draco Malfoy's first and last heroic act. Oh yes, she remembered...

She remembered him telling her for the last time that he loved her, just before being hit squarely in the chest by the curse. She remembered him falling, in slow motion, into her arms, but she had known that it had been over for her love. She had cried and shouted his name, hoping that, one day, he would come back to her... but he hadn't. It had been so painful for her... However, she also remembered that he had told her to do whatever would make her happy.

Now she found this thing that would make her happy again, though nothing would ever be the same. She longed for her true love's touches and kisses. She longed for him, but she only found a replacement, who would never be her Draco. She felt guilty because she wouldn't be able to give all her love to her soon-to-be husband. Draco would always be in her heart.

But she could always back down... No, she told herself firmly. She had agreed and she wasn't about to break her promise. If she couldn't make herself happy, she had to try her best to make her new husband happy, since he was madly in love with her. He deserved her no less than Draco did. She stood up. A knock sounded at her door. She quickly wiped away her tears and tried to look pleased and excited.

Long, flaming red hair appeared through the gap at the door at first. Then, the face of Ginny Weasley appeared.

"Hermione?" Ginny said almost shyly. "Are you ready? The ceremony's about to start..."

"Yes, give me a minute." Hermione was surprised her voice sounded perfectly normal. Ginny nodded and stepped out, closing the door softly behind her.

With a last look at the two lovebirds, now perched on a tree branch, she sighed. She took a deep breath and straightened her gown. That was it. Her fate was about to be sealed.

At the ceremony, her friends and family were clapping as she made her entrance, her eyes fixed upon those of her new husband. He ruffled his red hair nervously and Hermione noticed his ears starting to turn pink. She couldn't help but feel happy, so she smiled. As she said her vows, she felt her fate being sealed, but she had to enjoy it. Weddings such as these only happened once in a lifetime. She wrapped her arm around her new husband's. Whether it was her imagination or not, she thought she saw the faintest flicker of Draco's beaming face looking down at them from the clear blue sky.