#and when they finally do THE THING kleypas understood that it had to be a MAJOR moment

[mermaidsirennikita]

Kev throughout this novel: I have nothing to offer you, Win!!!!!

Win, looking downwards: Idk I think you have SOMETHING............................

[alwaystiredheaux]

Four Weddings and a Funeral - Chapter 3: The Granger-McLaggen Wedding

Maybe I’ll hit 10,000 words for this - also maybe you’d like to read it @littlemulattokitten @ninjafairy86​ @nerysdax​ @weirdhunterangel​ @hollowg1rl​ @riverwriter​ @viskers​

  Weddings are never about the bride and groom,  

 weddings are public platforms for dysfunctional families.

   –Lisa Kleypas

 One month later  

Tom woke to an empty bed and lay there enjoying the sound of his housemates making breakfast and pottering about on the first Saturday in a while that they hadn't had a wedding to attend.

Eventually, he dragged himself from the bed and into the kitchen where Theo, Blaise and Astoria were sitting eating bacon sandwiches. He winked at Astoria when she passed him a fresh cup of tea, and absentmindedly flicked through the paper as his friends continued their conversations. It wasn't until he saw another wedding invitation out of the corner of his eye that he interrupted them.

"Fucking hell!" He muttered picking it up and sliding it open, "who is it this time?"

No-one spoke and when Tom saw the names on the envelope he understood why. He swallowed down the lump in his throat, gulped down his tea and nodded, to himself more than anyone.

"Right then. I've got to go meet Harry, suppose I might as well take this list with me and see if I can get anything from it" he joked, hoping his attitude would break the ice that had suddenly appeared between them, and stood from the table.

Hermione was jetlagged. And being dragged around London by her future mother in law was doing nothing to improve the mood she found herself in, especially since the woman wouldn't stop going on and on about trivial things regarding the wedding. Hermione honestly believed the woman believed it was her own wedding, rather than her sons.

When she saw that the woman was beginning to tire, she pounced and let her know that she was feeling tired too and couldn't help but smirk as the older woman drove off in a taxi and left Hermione too it.  

Entering Harrods, and making her way straight to the wedding registry, to find out if anyone had more money than sense and had actually purchased anything Cormac had put on the 'bloody list' as she'd come to refer to it.

She stopped short though when she saw Tom poking about the various wedding gifts and couldn't resist sneaking up behind him and poking him.

"Hi"

He spun around so quickly, a furious look on his face, until he saw it was her.

"Why are you always appearing behind me?" He smirked. Hermione shrugged and avoided his gaze.

"Did you get anything?" His smile fell and Hermione instantly felt bad about bringing it up, "Not that you have to. God knows this isn't anything I want" she snorted, meeting his gaze.

He shook his head and Hermione knew he was thinking about leaving her to it.

"Do you have anywhere to be or can I steal you for a few hours?" He opened his mouth, then closed it and frowned before shaking his head.

"I'm supposed to meet Harry, but I can be late, it's fine."  

Hermione grinned at him and dragged him away from the ridiculously overpriced crystal.

Tom had never been wedding dress shopping before – one would have to be getting married to even consider stepping into a dress shop, but he found himself enjoying himself as he watched Hermione try on dozens and dozens of dresses.

When she finally stepped out in what turned out to be the one, he felt his mouth go dry and his stomach roll, the intense feeling of jealousy bubbling up from deep within him. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists as he stood to meet her and stood with her at arm's length – any closer was asking for trouble.

"You look beautiful."

The smile she gave him momentarily detracted from the fact it wouldn't be him she'd be walking down the aisle towards.

Tom could see Harry across the street waiting for him and felt terrible. He skidded to a halt in front of him when he eventually managed to weave his way through the traffic, and narrowly avoided splashing him with puddle water.

"I'm sorry" he gasped out, leaning over in an attempt to catch his breath.

"It's fine-"

"It's not-"

"-Hermione text me" "- I should have. Wait what?"

Harry snorted at his best mate and turned into the tuxedo shop, holding the door open for Tom.

"Yes. Amazingly she knows how to use a phone. I didn't know you enjoyed wedding dress shopping Tom" he teased.

Tom blanched and frowned, "It's not like that."

Harry snorted, again, "She's getting married in two weeks. I bloody well hope it's not like that."

 Two weeks later  

Tom, Draco, Harry and Ginny had bundled up into Draco's range rover and let him drive them to Scotland for the wedding, Astoria, Blaise, Theo and Daphne in the other car.

Cormac McLaggen, it turned out had gone to Hogwarts with them all, and according to Harry had been a right git then and hadn't changed much. He'd even divulged that Hermione hadn't been impressed by him back then, Tom hadn't revealed his own bitter thoughts about how something had obviously changed for her to be marrying him now.

He was also apparently heir to some obnoxiously large Scottish estate; his Grandfather having built up their family estate to the point where they were practically Scotland's version of 'Royalty'. Tom liked to think he knew Hermione well enough to know she wasn't with the man for any of his supposed fancy titles.

He didn't go immediately up to his room when they eventually arrived, instead heading straight for the bar and purchasing the best bottle of scotch he could. He snorted when the bartender let him know that it was on the house since he was attending the wedding and apparently Cormac had insisted.

Theo, Draco and Harry all attempted to pull him away from the bar, but he dismissed them all and encouraged them to enjoy themselves – he didn't want to depress any of them with his sour mood.

He wasn't sure what time it was when Hermione joined him on the couch and poured herself a glass of scotch, only that he was now onto his second bottle of complimentary liquor.

"I don't want you to marry him" he murmured quietly into his glass. He could feel Hermione looking at him and let her pull him down until his head was resting in her lap, her hands smoothing over his hair.

She didn't say anything though and Tom closed his eyes and let her hands attempt to soothe him. Her voice startled him when she eventually spoke.

"I love him."

"I love you", Tom scoffed, his eyes opening in mild horror to find her own shocked ones peering down at him. He sat up and stood from the couch, immediately swaying and batting her hand away when she offered to help him. "I should get some sleep."

He could see her nodding from his periphery, since he didn't dare look at her - alcohol had utterly fucked him over.

"I can't believe you're wearing a kilt" Draco muttered, straightening his tie even though it was sitting perfectly – he only stopped when Astoria whacked him hard in the arm and Tom had to bite back a smirk.

“Why not? We're in Scotland, at a wedding, a kilt seemed like a perfectly decent piece of attire" Blaise huffed, "Theo said it looked good."

Tom had to stifle a snicker when Harry leaned over and reminded them all that Theo just wanted to continue getting laid on a regular basis.

They all stood when the procession music began, but Tom didn't look at Hermione. He kept his gaze firmly on the hair of the woman standing in front of him and bit his tongue when the minister asked if anyone had a reason they shouldn't be married. 'Yes' Tom wanted to shout out, consequences be damned, 'I'm in love with her'. But Hermione had made her choice and it wasn't him.

He pretended not to notice how Harry clutched his shoulder a little tighter in that moment, probably eternally grateful that one best friend hadn't ruined the other's wedding.

“Now don't get me wrong" Blaise said, as he poured a glass of champagne for his friends, "over the years I've been immensely proud of the fact that between the lot of us there's never been a wedding ring, but recently, it's become somewhat of a concern" he said sitting down beside Theo. "At some point I'd like to go to the wedding of someone I love."

Harry snorted and Tom rolled his eyes but Draco sighed dramatically and looked across the table to his friend, "Don't blame me. I've asked almost everyone if they wanted to marry me at some point."

Astoria drained her glass and smirked, "You've never asked me?"

Draco looked at her, startled, "Really? God Astoria I'm sorry" he drawled sarcastically, reaching a hand across the table to her, "Would you?"

"Not for all the Malfoy money in the world" she snorted, flicking his hand away.

"Hello Tom"

"Jesus Bella, you scared the heart out of me" Tom gasped, as he stepped away from the wall he'd been leaning against to see Bellatrix leaning against the doorframe beside it.

She merely giggled and Tom started to sweat, "You're cheerful."

Bellatrix shrugged, "It's a wedding. And I have a new boyfriend." Tom tried not to let the shock or the simultaneous relief he felt at her words show on his face.

"Oh?"

"Yeah" she replied, licking her lips and pointing over to the other side of the room where Rodulphus Lestrange was standing. Tom nodded.

"Good for you."

"Hmmmm. You look good. You should call me and we'll go for coffee sometime" she murmured, stepping up to him and fixing his tie – Tom gulped.

"You have a boyfriend" he pointedly reminded her.

"As a friend Tom. As a friend" she grinned.

"You really like her, don't you?" Ginny mumbled quietly from behind Tom as she watched him watch Hermione and Cormac's first dance.

Tom nodded and took a drink. "It's strange. It's finally happened and she's married someone else" he sighed, turning to look at Ginny when he felt her step back.

"What about you Gin? You followed Blaise's advice and found a future husband?"

Ginny snorted and lit a fag, ignoring Tom's pointed look, "no need. Been in love with the same bloke for ages."

Tom's eyebrows reached his hair, "Seriously?" He chuckled, "Who?"

Ginny laughed and took a long drag, "You Tom."

Tom couldn't say anything and followed her into the room she'd just moments ago exited, "It's always been you Tom. For years now" she smiled at him, blinking furiously to stop any tears from falling. She shook her head when he attempted to come closer, "It doesn't matter" she whispered.

Tom scoffed and pulled her into a fierce hug, "It's a terrible feeling Gin. I'm sorry."

She sobbed then pulled back from him, wiping her eyes, "Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. I'll survive" she admonished.

Tom nodded mutely and let her lead him back to the party.

"You look terrible Blaise" Harry muttered, finally dragging himself away from Astoria's sister Daphne long enough to have a drink.

Blaise stood, swaying slightly as he did, "I feel it."

"Blaise?" Tom muttered, standing to help his friend in the same moment that he collapsed into the table and began convulsing.

"BLAISE!" Several shouts went up just as the bride and groom entered the room.

"Get a doctor" Theo shouted, forcing his way between the crowd that had gathered and kneeling beside his boyfriend, "Blaise he murmured quietly, holding the man's arms against his chest and tipping his head to the side so he didn't choke on his own vomit.

Tom wrapped his arm around Astoria as she stared, in abject horror at the convulsing body of one of her closest friends.

When he went still, the entire wedding party was surrounding him and the only noise that could be heard was Theo, sobbing his broken heart out.

[Ao3]

[FFN]