The Right Man

Summary: It's been 12 years since the final battle and since they went their separate ways. Now, a 30 year old newly engaged Hermione Granger faces and reconnects with the man she left all those years ago. Feelings from their past are revisited putting Hermione in a position to question herself if she really is with the right man. AU.
Rating:M
Parings: Ron/Hermione, Hermione/OC, Ron/OC, Harry/Ginny

A/N: Hey everyone! I have been a long time Harry Potter fan and a shipper of Ron/Hermione. This is my first Potter fic soit won't be perfect, lol...I hope you like it. PleaseR&R! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 01:

Hermione Granger just couldn't take her eyes off it. It had to be the most beautiful thing she has ever seen in her life. Hopping out of bed, she sketched out her left arm far enough to hit the light seeping through the cream colored curtains of her bedroom window. She sighs dearly in complete fascination as the morning sunlight meets the beautiful thing on her finger. The heart cut diamond engagement ring that wrapped itself in an endless circle around her finger was the only thing that was brighter than her smile these days.

It had been a week since the ring officially became her's and like any woman she was still in the mist of it all. It was a night that she will never forget and will forever be one of the happiest moments in her life. Hermione truly felt like she was twelve years old all over again and Jake Carmichael was the man who can take full responsibility of that.

Hermione Granger had met Jake Carmichael during their seventh and final year at Hogwarts. She laid her eyes on him for the first time in Arithmancy class. He was a Ravenclaw student who was not tall but at a fair height, lean, had spiky black hair, with piercing ocean blue eyes. He sat behind her in class and as she remembers would often tap her on the shoulder and ask her the most simplest of questions. He would ask her if she understood Professor Vector's lecture that day because he didn't get it even if she knew he did. It was a nice try but just like Hermione, Jake was on was on top of the class and as much as she hated to fess up to it he was a bit better than she was in class at times.

Asking her for the date was another stupid question he would ask especially when he did it every single day. Sadly enough, Hermione was so caught up with the pressure of being a seventh year student that she didn't notice it after a week. When she finally did, she became annoyed with his constant "Hey, happen to know the date?" line and legitimately turned her body around in class to harshly tell him to get a calender the next time he asked her. They were in Arithmancy class after all, surely he can figure it out. After that, Jake stopped tapping on her shoulder for weeks, months even.

It wasn't until after winter break when they spoke again. Hermione was in the library trying to reach a book resting on the top shelf that Professor Babbling had recommended earlier in the day about the history and making of the runic alphabet. She was struggling to reach it when a pair of hands came out of nowhere and reached the book for her. Hermione turned around and it was Jake. He kindly handed her the book with a warm smile that she found quiet charming and muttered a thanks afterwards. As she remembers he ended up sitting with her in the library that entire evening. They spent that whole evening talking as if that incident where she told him off in class never happened. Hermione was thankful for that because if there is one thing she can't get herself to do whether she was wrong or not was apologizing.

Since that day Jake became a fast friend of Hermione's due a lot things they had in common. They both were intellectual individuals that shared the same common interests. That explains why he was in many of her classes and it was a surprise to her that she hadn't noticed him in her previous years at Hogwarts until now. She wouldn't have minded his company at all if she met him in her earlier years. It was just a nice change to finally talk to someone who enjoyed and read the same books she buried her nose in.

Now, ten years later they were here living in a beautiful home, both have professional careers as healers and were set to be married. Life was good for Hermione and things were finally falling into place. She admires her ring once more before heading for a morning bath. She looks at the huge wall clock as she pranced towards the washroom, it was almost noon just an hour and a half before Daphne Crane, a reporter for the Daily Prophet would come to visit. Earlier in the week Jake contacted the paper about conducting an interview with Hermione to announce their engagement. He thought it was a brilliant way to spread the word and also put out an invite to anyone who wants to come and celebrate the engagement at a house party that was going to take place later in the week. Hermione wasn't fond of the idea because she was never a big fan of attention but they were both already well know around town just by being the youngest healers in wizard history. Without another thought she heads inside the washroom and prepares herself for another day. A reporter from the papers was going to be here at her home in a few so it was very important that she would look her best.

It didn't take her long to get prepared like she initially thought. She was done with her hair and makeup within the first hour and had managed to slip into a white color sundress that was suitable for the interview. She can already feel her hands get sweaty and she rubbed them together, taking a deep breath. She's had interviews before, well job interviews for that matter but how was this any different? Some stupid lady was just going to come over to ask her a few questions about her life and take some pictures. "Wait, take pictures of me?" Hermione muttered to herself as she quickly ran to the full length mirror attached on her closet door to give herself one last good look before heading downstairs.

"I won't let her take my picture." She continues to talk to herself shaking her head. "People all over London are going to see it, see me and I can't, I won't." Hermione never has been the photogenic type and not been the prettiest girl in her year that all those blokes drooled all over and heavily fancied. She had to look at her reflection once more to convince herself that she was no longer that bushy haired Hermione Granger everyone knew. A smile cracks upon her face knowing she was ready to show them just that.

Ron Weasley sat down to occupy the last empty chair at an old, rusty, round table full of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey at the Leaky Caldron. It had been another hard and psychically draining day at the Auror department that he decided to skip the Muggle gym tonight to join Harry with a couple of old friends for a drink. Once he was seated in between Harry and Dean Thomas, he slid a small glass across the table towards him and motioned Neville Longbottom who sat in front of him to pour him some whiskey. Neville's wife Hannah Abbott was the new landlady at the Leaky Caldron so drinks were sure to be on the house tonight.

"You all are dicks for starting without me." Ron says as he takes a slip off his glass. "Bloody hell! I forgot how strong this shit was." He adds placing his glass back down on the table as he felt the burning sensation in his throat.

"That's why you should come and drink with us more often. Blimey Ron, quit working so hard and relax a bit, will you? We hardly see you anymore." Seamus points out as Dean Thomas nods in agreement.

"Don't tell him that." Harry replies shaking his head. "He won't put it through that thick head of his! I try to tell him to take his vacation but he won't. "

Harry was the head of the Auror department and Ron's boss. Ron was the hardest working auror in his team, also possibly the best and Harry wasn't just saying that because Ron happened to be his best mate. Ron never was the best student back when they were in Hogwarts. He often slacked, did a half ass job in everything given to him and like Harry didn't attend their final year at Hogwarts. Thankfully, both him and Ron were recruited by Kingsley after the second wizarding war.

Harry and Ron were taken to unknowable places for intensive training for years straight before they were placed to patrol grounds on their own. Ron had received one of the highest marks in training and since than has been the most dedicated Harry has ever seen him. Ron was over six feet tall, worked out so often he's bulked up to nearly two hundred pounds and had visible wounds on his hands and forearms from curses that hit him during captures. It made Harry wondered what he could have looked like if he wasn't offered the head position and stayed on field duty instead.

"It's not too late to take that vacation you know." Harry brings up studying Ron's appearance. "You look beat and deserve a break mate. I mean you wouldn't want to end up looking like Moody by the time you hit that age."

Ron knew Harry had been right but just laughs it off since they already had this conversation earlier in the day. Ron was tired, beaten from his last capture and was in no mood to hear Harry's lecture. "Get to Moody's age? That will be a long bloody time from now Harry and besides Moody was the greatest bloody auror of his time. If I keep it up, than that's what I'll be and I love doing it."

"Love it so much you intentionally want and do work seven days a week." Harry says. "I tell you that's against the policy Ron. Your lucky I haven't said anything to Kingsley yet. As a matter of fact maybe I will. Maybe that will be the only way to get you to take that much needed time off."

Harry was Ron's best friend after all so he knew that Ron intentionally worked seven days straight not because "he loved doing it so much" It had been a couple of weeks ago when he put in a request to patrol his stations everyday each week. Ron told him that he needed the money but Harry knew that had been complete lie. His request to be at work everyday had a lot to do with his recent reconciliation with Valerie Ravensdale.

Valerie Ravensdale was Ron's on again, off again, girlfriend for the past two years. They had met her in Scottland during auror training and she was a year older than they were. She too was training to be an auror but dropped out of the course just after a year in training when she decided to pursue a different career in the Ministry. She came back to London around that time but still kept in touch with Ron through letters. Valerie was Ron's only source of comfort during those years he trained out of the country. It wasn't until they arrived back home when they eventually started to go steady. It was real nice at first when they hit it off but things got ugly down the road. They were the hot and cold type and Harry thought it was finally over between them when Ron broke up with her after he caught her snogging Evan Gibberd down a dark ally a couple of months ago. Ron although wasn't bothered or upset about the breakup. For someone who was quick tempered, Ron actually handled it very well and appeared to be cheery the next day after he sod her off. Harry too was quiet pleased to hear that news but little did they know that down the line, Ron was going to be on with Valerie again.

Harry acted like he didn't know that the pair of them were back together. He must admit that it was almost impossible to act like he didn't know when Ron shows up every morning in his office smelling like wild, erotic, flowers. It was a perfume Valerie wore so often that Ron practically bathed in it when they're together. That wild flowery scent all over him wasn't the only thing that Harry noticed, the other thing was that Ron hasn't once invited him over to his apartment in weeks. Valerie must have moved back in but Harry didn't bother to question him. He just figured Ron would tell him the news himself but when Ron didn't, Harry just let it go. He wasn't going to force it out of Ron and decided to keep his nose out of it.

"Hows my sister?" Ron asked breaking Harry out of his train of thought.

"Yeah Harry, how is the wife doing these days?" Neville piked up as he leaned back on his chair.

"She is wonderful, best thing I have going on in my life right now." Harry answers. Ginny and him were newlyweds and married a few months ago.

"She writes for the Prophet now, does she? A quidditch columnist right?" Dean asked and Harry nodded in reply. "Seamus, didn't you do an interview with her during your last game?" Dean turned to Seamus who was currently playing as a chaser for the Irish Quidditch team.

Seamus scratches his head trying to recall it. "Um yeah, that was a few months ago. Last gaming season to be exact."

"Ready for the upcoming season, are we?" Ron asked noticing Seamus looked a little dazed. "I read Ginny's column and she mentions that you took that nasty, bloody bludger to the head during a practice. Alright there mate?"

"A little bit. I'm still trying to recover. I ended up in 's that day. My mum told me I was asleep for a good week."

"Bloody hell!" Ron says with widened eyes.

"Asleep for a week? I reckon that's what you need Ron." Harry jokes. "Does anyone have a bludger on them that we can send after Ron?"

"Sod off, Harry." Ron laughs and they all went to laughter in the table. Hannah Abbott, Neville's wife was standing behind the now empty bar cleaning up and ready to close for the night when Lola, their beloved grey owl came flying through the open window into the table only to drop the evening issue of the Daily Prophet into Neville's lap.

"I didn't know the Daily Prophet makes evening runs now." Ron said.

Harry gives him a look of disbelief. "They have for years now."

They all break out in laughter again even Ron. Neville who was laughing the hardest threw the newspaper in the center of the table and it unintentionally faced toward Ron. Ron looks at the paper and was immediately stunned to see a familiar face in the front cover. It was a face he hadn't seen in years and honestly wasn't ready to see, not like this anyway. There plastered in the center of the paper in a moving image was the very thing that haunted him for years. His heart skipped a beat as the headline above the picture in big bold letters caught his eye.

Britain's Youngest Renowned Healer, Hermione Granger Engaged, the headline read.

The table fell silent when they all realized that Ron did. Harry was the second to pike down and saw what Ron was looking at although he acted like he didn't notice. He quickly grabbed the newspaper and threw it at nearby table. "Ginny's columns are published only in the morning issues of the Prophet . There's nothing in that rubbish that's worth reading in the evenings." Harry says as Neville, Seamus, and Dean looked surprised at his sudden move and gesture. By the way they were looking at him he takes a guess that neither of them knew what was on the front cover.

"Well blimey Harry! The evening issue of the Prophet happens to be a favorite read of mine." Neville says as he gets up from his chair and moves to the table where Harry threw the newspaper. He was soon joined by Seamus and Dean who now surrounded Neville at a nearby table reading the paper over Neville's shoulder.

Once the three of them were too busy scanning the papers to hear anything Ron starts, "Don't act like you grabbed the paper and threw it aside because of Ginny, I know you saw it too. You didn't need to do that. Its been years, Harry. I thought I told you a long time ago that was I done with that, done with her."

"I know mate. I just reckon-"

He didn't get to finish when Ron cut him off short. "No, don't reckon anything. She hasn't spoken to us in years and as far as I know she's nothing more but a stranger to us. She didn't even attend your wedding and Ginny sent her an invite."

Half true, Harry thought to himself. The truth was Hermione might be a stranger now to Ron but Harry still kept in touch whether Ron was going to hex him for it or not. He will admit that they weren't as close as they were before but was still are in pretty good terms.

"Er, she was out of the country with her parents during my wedding and she did kindly owl Ginny and I an apology along with a wedding gift. I don't have anything against her."

"I didn't say you did and nor do I." Ron spats making his feelings towards Harry's defense of Hermione obvious.

"Why do you have such hatred in your tone than? Like you just said mate, it was years ago and your over it." Harry challenges.

"Really? I wonder how you would sound in a conversation about Ginny if she left you for another bloke and now shes marrying him. I have a funny feeling you wouldn't sound so pleasant either whether it was a long time ago or not."

Harry's lip curled. "That wouldn't have happened to Ginny and I because I had time for her and didn't make her wait." Harry snaps and suddenly felt regret boiling in the pit of his stomach at what he just said. He watched as Ron's eyes casted themselves to the floor and when he didn't say anything back or punched Harry in the face, Harry spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

Ron looked up from the ground but didn't look at Harry. His eyes were focused across the table at the bottle of whiskey. Ron reaches out for it with his long muscular right arm and Harry watched him as he poured more whiskey into his only half empty glass. Ron drowns the liquor down in one huge gulp after he says, "Let's just bugger it off, shall we?"

Harry just nodded and without another word he willingly joined his best friend and drowned himself in another glass. It might have been years ago but Ron still ached over the past and what he could of had with that Hermione Granger.