you will see your beauty every moment that you rise

[cleverness]

Hermione feels her chest tighten from the moment she steps into the dress shop. There are soft colors surrounding her on all sides, a mixture of white and faint pastels, in such quantities that Hermione can't even imagine how she'll ever be able to find the right dress in time. For years, she's dreamed about what her wedding day might look like, and even if Hermione doesn't have the extensive notes that others her age might, there's an excitement that thrums just under her skin as she hurries into the shop.

She's invited some of her friends to join her — anyone who has a couple hours and the patience to spare. Even though Hermione knows that the wedding will be perfect simply because of the man who will be standing at the end of the aisle, she wants all of the other details to fall in place. Having more eyes and opinions will only make her feel more secure in her skin.

"Do you know what style of dress you're looking for, dear?" the shopkeeper asks her, a sweet woman with a heart-shaped face and delicate brunette curls.

Hermione parts her lips, on the cusp of deferring to her judgment entirely, but a moment later, she nods. "I think I'd like a long dress," she admits, feeling her cheeks flush. "White, perhaps with a hint of lace."

Half an hour later, Hermione stands back up on the stool in front of the tri-panel mirror, turning around slowly and feeling the weight of the skirt.

"What about this dress?" she asks, brushing errant curls of hair out of the way as she spreads the skirt, feeling the fabric against her palm.


[ help hermione pick between dress one, two, three, four. ]

Comments

[dragonsandquidditch]

"That you do," he replies with a laugh, shaking his head. Hermione is capable of anything she puts her mind to, but she also has something of a sense of humor. It's one of the many reasons Charlie likes her so much, especially considering how good she is for Ron in other ways as well. "And I am especially grateful for it." His words are still teasing, but he means them.

"Really? Excellent! I can begin as soon as you need me to," he tells her with a grin. "Which reminds me; since we can't actually leave the city, what are you and Ron doing for your honeymoon?"

[cleverness]

"You're welcome to start whenever you have the time. Actually, in these days leading up to the wedding, it would be fantastic to have more help around the store. I've been closing the store down whenever I have an important appointment, but I'm sure that creates quite a bit of inconvenience for the customers," says Hermione sheepishly. She knows that she's in the store often enough that everyone's needs can be met, but she doesn't fool herself for a moment into believing that people are sticking around for the moment out of anything other than that need.

"As for the honeymoon... I don't know, really. The both of us certainly want to take some time off of work, but like you mentioned, we can't actually leave the city. And we've already picked one of the most picturesque places to live," she murmurs. "I had thought about asking Ron on a hot air balloon ride, but that's no more than a day's excursion. Perhaps we'll just enjoy the time off quietly together."

[dragonsandquidditch]

"I can begin right away," Charlie tells her with something of a sheepish look. "Otherwise I'm just going to be mucking about the countryside endlessly." He likes the idea of working in a quaint little shop; while it lacks the excitement of dragons, that he's still working with magic makes Charlie feel more at ease.

"That you did," Charlie nods. "I must say, I much prefer the countryside to the city itself. Too much noise and not enough fresh air." He snorts at the image of Ron in a hot air balloon. "Please, if that does happen, take pictures. I want to see Ron in a balloon."

[cleverness]

"Just know that the hours are flexible," Hermione tells Charlie. The last thing that she wants to do is hold him back from enjoying the aspects of Darrow life that he loves most, and she knows that there's good reason for either of them to continue exploring the city. As much as Hermione's begun to make a good life for herself in Darrow, there's absolutely no question of where she'd pick to be if she had the choice.

Darrow can be a home, but it's not the one Hermione has the most love for.

"All that the Lamplight really needs is for someone to be supervising during its open hours. So if you ever find a dragon and need to call out, just let me know. I'll trust that Ron will make sure you don't abuse the privilege," she smiles.

[dragonsandquidditch]

"I will keep that in mind," he says, excited by the idea. He doesn't mind working full-day shifts, however; he's used to the long hours dragon care requires of a person, and The Lamplight is a pleasant place to while away some hours. Not that he wouldn't take advantage of an occasional short shift or two. "That sounds great."

"I absolutely will," he tells her with a mock salute. "You can trust me; I'm one of the responsible Weasleys."

[cleverness]

"The Weasley who prefers to spend his time chasing after dragons, trying to convince me that he's one of the responsible ones?" Hermione asks with a laugh, though her tone makes it clear that she's only joking, and that she doesn't truly believe that Charlie will skirt out on work often.

"But I look forward to it. It'll be nice to have more people around the store. I've always wanted it to be a quieter, family affair, one where we can provide materials to the people who need them, but also enjoy the greater amount of time we have with one another," she concludes, before making her way back to the dress rack. "But for now, the biggest challenge I have is finding the right dress."

[dragonsandquidditch]

"And don't forget the time Bill and I dueled with tables and chairs," Charlie chimes in with a broad grin. "One of my greatest accomplishments to date, thank you very much." In fact, though many see Charlie's job as a risk, working with dragons requires much patience and responsibility, both with oneself and the creatures in the dragonkeeper's care. He's never missed a day of work for anything other than sickness or vacation days.

"Sounds like a fine shop to me," Charlie agrees. "And you know, working with dragons and all, I've gotten quite decent at repairing charms, if there's need of that at The Lamplight."

"But you're right, of course," he grins. "You've got to find the best possible dress so that Ron forgets how to even breathe."