Prologue...

She breathed heavily and nervously licked her dry lips as she walked with weighted steps towards the full-body mirror in the room. The lace of her dress felt itchy on her back as her half-million galleon wedding dress hugged her figures. Hermione ran her soft hands on the luxurious patterns of her dress as she stared at it. The precious stones reflected the light of her surroundings. Everything was just too heavy to absorb at that moment. Her sadness filled her head, she thought she'd burst into bloody pieces if she won't let go of the tears building up in her eyes. She wanted to cry out loud. But no, there's no way she could do that there. Instead, she forcedly inhaled despite the heaviness in her chest and took it all in, yet the tears fell from her eyes betraying her.

She blinked her tears away as she shut her lips tight, rapidly wiping off the tears on her cheeks, fearful that they might stain her face. A sob almost escaped her lips when she heard the sound of his boots against the floor. She prayed to all gods to let her compose herself before he got near her.

"For the Order, for the Order... This is for the Order..." she whispered to herself. A lone tear managed to escape.

The light that the mirror reflected dimmed as he arrived behind her. The scent of mints, green grapes, and the mood that set itself around her. The instance she felt his presence, she very well knew it was Draco, her soon-to-be husband.

"Do wipe your tears, Granger. You wouldn't want the Dark Lord to see your face tear-stained in your wedding dress," he whispered into her ear as he tucked a loose strand of her hair into her ear. "Soon after this wedding, you will be carrying my name. I don't want my soon-to-be wife walking the centre aisle towards me and shedding tears for someone who's clearly not here," Draco added as he gazed at her glossy eyes in the mirror.