She Walks In Beauty

Percy Weasley ran a shaking hand through his neatly combed ginger hair as he glanced around the Great Hall before him.

"Oh my God, Percy look at how beautiful everything is!" exclaimed Percy's wife, Audrey, with a girlish squeal.

"Yeah, they did a great job making over the Great Hall," Percy replied with mock enthusiasm.

Audrey smiled like a kid in a candy shop and tottered over to the covered table a few feet away from them, where the seating cards were scattered about. Audrey struggled to walk steadily in her silver five inch heels. Percy could still clearly remember buying Audrey those shoes for her twenty fifth birthday. She'd begged and pleaded for weeks for Percy to buy her the gorgeous shoes she had spotted in a shop window on her way to work, and had smothered him in kisses when he presented them to her, wrapped up in a great big bow. Percy remembered that day so clearly because that was the day he'd gotten the call about her. Percy's mother, Molly, had called him around midnight in hysterics.

"Oh Percy, he's asked her! He asked her and she said yes!"

Percy had spoken to his mother the day before, and knew exactly who she was talking about. Percy's voice became caught in his throat as he attempted to feign excitement for the joyous engagement. That phone call was the first nail in the coffin of Percy Weasley. Then, three days later, he'd received the final nail in his coffin, the wedding invitation.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Weasley

&

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Granger

Invite you to the wedding of their children, Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jean Granger.

Percy's heart sunk into his stomach as he read off the cheery invitation. It was all over, he could never have her now. He would never be able to have Hermione Jean Granger. Percy was very happy with his wife Audrey; there was no doubt about that in his heart, but he'd always longed for something more. Percy had met Hermione Granger at Hogwarts, as she had befriended Percy's younger brother Ron. At the time, Percy was more concerned with his studies, and boasting to his friends and family about his sky high dreams to one day become Minister of Magic, then with making friends and conversing with girls. In fact, Percy's only other romantic interaction with a woman, other then a brief fling he had with a girl named Penelope Clearwater in his fifth year at Hogwarts, was with his wife Audrey.

Percy had spent nearly three years of his life exiled from his family, after a disagreement between them was blown out of proportion. Percy finally reunited with his family on the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, a horrible, destructive night. Percy lost a brother that night, but also gained a family. Another thing that happened that night was that Percy finally realized how beautiful Hermione Granger was. She'd emerged from a pile of rubble and ash, covered in dried blood and soot, and yet her beauty still shined through the dirt and grime. She was a raw beauty, a beauty that was flawed. That was true beauty. Percy's eyes widened to the size of saucers at the sight of the beautiful woman walking towards his family, and then, to his great displeasure, she slipped her hand into Ron's and gave him a bone crushing hug. They were in love. It was so evident, it was sickening. Ron's love for Hermione gleaned like a burning fire in his eyes, and Hermione's love for him leaked from every pore of her body. And Percy hated that.

Percy soon reconciled with the fact that his secret love for Hermione Granger would never be returned, although he did it begrudgingly. In time, Percy met his wife, Audrey Levine. Audrey was working as a healer at the wizard hospital, Saint Mungo's. A strange, unexplainable incident at the Ministry involving a tampered with music box filled with acid landed Percy in a bed at Saint Mungo's, being treated by a beautiful woman, named Audrey. To his great surprise, after a bit of conversation, Percy took a romantic interest in Audrey. She was beautiful, witty and had a kind heart. She was the whole package. After Percy's injuries were healed, he mustered up the courage to ask Audrey on a date, and she gladly accepted. They dated happily for nine months before finally deciding to wed. Percy's marriage was a wonderful one, and he was no doubt madly in love with Audrey, but there was always something…wrong. Audrey may have appeared to be the whole package, but she was no Hermione Granger.

Percy watched the wedding of his brother to the woman he secretly loved with a heavy heart. The wedding was one for the ages, held in the beautifully decorated Great Hall, decorated with ornate crystals, beautiful flowers and gorgeous lights everywhere. And yet, the most beautiful part of the wedding was the blushing bride. She was the epitome of pure beauty. Her locks swept up into a beautiful updo, her eyes painted with light makeup and a bouquet of virgin white roses in her hands. Percy let out a low sigh, and wrapped an arm around his wife.

"I love you," he whispered, making it seem as though he was whispering to his wife, but in his heart, he hoped that his small whisper would carry, and make it's way to Hermione's ears.

"I love you too, Perce," Audrey said with a smile, kissing her husband on the cheek.

Percy sighed once again. This was how it was meant to be.