A/N:

Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine!!!!

Oh My Merlin!!!

Okay here's the first chapter for my new fic - which i'm trying desperately trying to find time to write given the fact that I have a 3 year old and it's almost Christmas!

Anyway - let me know what you think please.

Ruthie


My Love For You

Chapter One

You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Hermione Jane Granger

And

Ronald Bilius Weasley

On

23rd March 2002 at

The Burrow

Commencing at 12.30pm

He thought it was just another 'congratulations-on-finally-defeating-He-who-must-not-be-named' card. He thought he would be able to open it and then carelessly toss it onto the log fire like all the others. But what he saw made his blood turn to ice, a cold sweat appear instantly on his furrowed brow and his mouth suddenly void of any moisture.

Married? He thought, I can't believe she's actually going through with it – all they do is argue and then don't speak to each other for days on end!

Harry James Potter ran a hand through his already messy black hair and sighed deeply. Of course he knew they were engaged. He knew they had been planning a wedding. Hell, he'd even agreed to be Ron's best man…but seeing it in black and white (well, silver and cream) it just made it all horribly real.

His bright green eyes came to rest back on the immaculate invitation. His best friend's since their first year at school were about to tie the knot, and he wasn't happy about it. He would have liked to have said that he couldn't explain his disdain, but he knew damn well why he was against the whole idea.

He was in love with Hermione.

He could even pinpoint the precise moment when he realised his feelings.

FLASHBACK

Harry glanced around the battlefield that was once his childhood home. Godric's Hollow was a bloody mass of bodies strewn about, some alive, some dead.

He was searching for his tormentor, the – thing that had made his life such a nightmare since Harry had been just a baby when he had tried to take his life. His mother's love had been the unforeseen power that had thwarted Lord Voldemort's attempts and the spell had rebounded from Harry back onto the Dark Lord, and he had been left as nothing more than a mere fragment of himself. A seventh to be exact.

Harry, meanwhile, had a lightening-bolt shaped scar on his forehead that served as a constant reminder of what had happened. Not only was it an eyesore but it also caused him a painful insight into Voldemort's emotions and dark dealings. That was how he knew that He-who-must-not-be-named would be in Godric's Hollow and the reason why The Order of the Phoenix had decided to launch a surprise attack on the dark side.

Harry could see other Order members dodging curses and fighting with all their heart and souls. He spotted his best friend Ron squaring up to Lucius Malfoy. The tall blonde Death Eater was calmly, almost lazily blocking each of Ron's curses, then uttered the word "Crucio" and sneered as he watched his victim squirming on ground as unbelievable waves of pain hit his body from all possible angles. Harry was about to go to Ron's aid when out of the blue a bright red light hit the Death Eater in his chest and he crumpled to the ground.

Then Hermione appeared next to Ron and helped him back onto his feet, checking he was alright. She glanced around her hastily but stopped when she saw Harry was watching them.

Her expression had conveyed her innermost feelings, fear, panic, exhaustion and most importantly (to Harry anyway) pride. All in one split-second look, then it was gone…and so was she.

"Harry Potter," Came a menacing voice from behind, dragging him back to the reason why they were all here in the first place. "How - brave of you to come."

Harry span around coming face to face with his nemesis. Voldemort sneered smugly back at him.

"Expelli-"

"Crucio!"

Now it was Harry's turn to writhe on the floor in excruciating pain. He desperately tried to block the curse, but it was to no avail.

As the pain subsided Harry took a moment to regain his composure. He'd be damned to Hell before begging for mercy!

"So – just let me know when you're ready to surrender. I'll make it quick – you won't feel a thing!" Voldemort teased, circling Harry like a vulture watching his prey.

"Surrender to you! I think you're going delusional in your old age 'cause we both know that'll never happen!" Harry spat, scrambling back to his feet.

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me, boy?"

Voldemort's smugness grated on Harry's last nerve and he blurted out the one thing he'd planned on keeping to himself. "Shouldn't be a problem now that I've destroyed all the Horcruxes!"

Harry watched as Voldemort faltered for a moment, and he felt a surge of power building up inside him – finally he had something on the Dark Lord and it felt good. He felt powerful.

"I must admit I'm surprised Harry. I really didn't think you had it in you. The horcruxes weren't obvious choices, how did you track them down once the 'Old Man' was dead?"

Harry tapped the side of his nose cryptically, "Now that would be telling."

Voldemort looked questioningly at him for a second before realisation flittered across his pale snake-like features.

"Ahh – of course! The Mudblood!"

Anger boiled up inside Harry as if it were being brewed in a caldron.

"How dare you talk about her like that? She ten times the person you'd ever be!" He growled, gripping his wand so tight that he thought it might snap.

"Oh this is wonderful Harry – just wonderful."

"What is?" Harry demanded, utterly confused at why Voldemort should find that particular piece of information so intriguing.

"Don't you see? Now it is I who has the upper hand…you love her!" Voldemort broke into peels of laughter and Harry's scar burst with pain, making him double up clutching his throbbing head.

It was the worst he'd ever experienced – more than likely due to their close proximity, but then as suddenly as it had attacked him it had gone. Standing back up to his full height of six feet he clutched his wand poised to attack. As his eyes focused he found, to his surprise, that Voldemort was flat on his back as furious glare in his piercing red eyes. Then, Harry felt a soft touch on his arm and heard her voice.

"Full body bind – I'll leave the rest to you!"

END FLASHBACK

That had been the moment he realised, even Voldemort had figured it out before him. It had walloped him around the head in spectacular fashion and, even now, six months later, she still had the same hold on his heart.

But she was marrying Ron. And that meant it was an impossible situation. He had no one to vent his frustration out on and even if he did he couldn't possibly speak the words – it would make it all so real – and it would most probably break him.

He had come close to telling her – so many times – usually when he was consoling her after yet another falling out with Ron. She always came to him, but it wasn't any consolation really. Not when he knew she wasn't really happy, neither of them were. But what could he do about it without seeming that he was, in effect, breaking them up?

He had gone over the possibilities so many times. He imagined that he'd tell her one day – and she'd fall into his arms and they'd get married and have two point four children, blah, blah, blah. He knew deep down that it wouldn't happen that way, but it didn't stop the dreams from torturing his subconscious every night.

"Harry, you okay mate?"

Harry jumped as Ron's quizzical voice invaded his thoughts. He had been so deeply involved with yet another daydream about stealing Hermione from under Ron's nose that he hadn't even heard his friend apparate into his flat.

"Bloody hell Ron, don't do that!" Harry put a hand over his thumping heart as if to slow it down.

Ron chuckled, "God, you sounded just like me then…good job Herms didn't here you."

Forcing a laugh, Harry inwardly grimaced. He could almost hear Hermione scolding Ron for calling her by the nickname she despised so much.

"So…you ready then?" Ron enquired, clapping his hands together nervously.

Harry just stared back at Ron desperately trying to rack his brains to remember what the hell he'd agreed to do this time.

"Wedding outfits…remember, mate…we need to go and choose our outfits for my wedding!"

Ron's smile returned as a look of realisation crossed Harry's pale face.

"Ah, right you are, Ron…just give me two seconds to throw on my trainers and grab my jacket." Harry hurried round his flat trying to make up for forgetting about their arrangement.

As much as Harry wanted Hermione to be with him instead of Ron, he would never want to intentionally hurt him. He loved Ron, he was his best friend after all, but Hermione…well, she was different. Harry lived for her. He called her or saw her every single day, just because he couldn't let a day go by without seeing her beauty or hearing her soft voice. They were destined to be together, he knew it. What he didn't know was how or when!

Two hours later Harry and Ron had chosen their dress robes for the wedding and were taking a well earned break in the Leaky Cauldron, when Fred and George burst through the door and made their way straight over to the two friends.

"Hey Ronnikins…Hermione's on the warpath again!"

Ron's glass banged onto the wooden table loudly and he wiped the froth from his mouth with the back of his hand. "What the bloody hell for this time?" He cursed.

Fred shrugged, "Apparently the robes you've chosen will clash with the bridesmaid's outfits…or something like that!"

With a snort Ron said, "I'm beginning to regret asking Hermione to marry me now!"

Harry turned his head to glare at his red headed friend, just daring him to say anything derogatory about Hermione.

"I mean…I, you know, love her and everything…but she's bloody mental when it comes down to this sodding wedding!"

"Well, you gotta expect a girl like Hermione's gonna go a little crazy over something as big as a wedding." George pointed out, taking a swig of his Butterbeer.

Harry nodded and had to agree with that, "But all women are the same surely?"

"Mum was when Bill got married and she wasn't even the bride!" Fred added. "And I'm sure Ginny will be worse when she finally drags some poor unsuspecting bloke down the aisle!"

The party of four lapsed into a silence, unsure of how to make light of the situation.

"Well?" Fred said eventually, glancing at Ron.

"Well what?" Ron replied taking another long sip of Butterbeer.

"Don't you think you should find her and sort out the robes?" George answered, grinning slightly at his younger brother.

Ron sighed deeply, knowing his life probably wouldn't be worth living if he didn't. "Guess I'd better…unless…Harry you could go instead…Herms won't yell at you like she will at me!"

Harry rolled his eyes looking extremely put out by the request. But inside his heart was hammering on his ribcage, demanding to be let out of its prison. "I suppose so…but you owe me big style. I'll say you got called in to work."

"Thanks mate." Ron sighed deeply with relief.

"Its okay – at least this means whatever I plan for your stag do, you can't reproach me for it!" Harry laughed before apparating with soft pop.

Staring up at Hermione's flat window Harry forced himself to take several deep breaths before building up the courage to ring the buzzer. It took her almost a minute to respond.

"Hello?"

"Hi it's Harry."

Harry heard the door unlock as she told him to go straight up. Feeling the nerves begin to build up again he decided to climb the five flights of stairs instead of taking the lift.

His mind was whirring. How could Hermione possibly want Ron as a husband? Marriage was for life, to Hermione and Harry anyway, but Ron? Well, only Merlin would know the answer to that one! To be fair his parents had been together for donkey's years and he adored them both. But whether his impending marriage to Hermione would be as upstanding and lasting, only time would tell but Harry seriously doubted it.

In no time at all he was standing in front of the door to Hermione's flat, his heart pounding. But before he could raise his hand and knock the door swung open and he was pulled inside by his robes.

"Harry – honestly, where's Ron? I cannot believe he has sent you instead of having the balls to face me himself!" Hermione snapped as soon as the door slammed behind them. He couldn't help but notice how stunning she looked when she was angry.

"Woah, Mione…look Ron thought he was doing the right thing with the robes, and they are pretty nice…" Harry started, but was cut off by Hermione.

"Huh…robes? That's the least of his problems!" She snorted, flopping down onto her oversized leather sofa and putting her head in her hands looking as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Harry sat next to her and rubbed her back soothingly. He didn't know what the hell she was going on about, but, Merlin, she was gorgeous! His eyes glided over her silky curls as they freed themselves from the black bobble in her hair. It was all he could do not to move his hand from her back and run his fingers through them. He remembered how bushy they used to be back in school, but now they were soft and shiny, the artificial light giving her an almost ethereal sheen.

"He didn't come home last night." She admitted eventually, dragging Harry from his thoughts.

"I think…he went home with someone else…I think he slept with someone else."

He just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. All he knew was that he wanted to kill Ron. "Wh – are you sure?" He muttered, avoiding her eyes.

"Not exactly, but he obviously wasn't with you, and he wasn't with Seamus or Dean or the twins…and there aren't many more possibilities are there." She pointed out.

"What about the Burrow?" Harry suggested. "Maybe he crashed out there."

"Harry – I know Ron's your best friend and you're bound to stick up for him, but I'm telling you now that I know it's not the first time he's done it."

"Hermione -,"

"He's done it before, Harry, what makes this time any different?"

"You're getting married." Harry reasoned.

"You'd think that would be it – but it seems that I'm not enough for him." She stated simply.

How could she think that she wasn't enough for Ron? She was more than enough and Ron knew it. But that didn't explain his actions.

"Bollocks, Hermione. If anything you're too good for him." Harry told her firmly, knowing that she'd just brush the compliment off as moot. He wanted her to believe it, but didn't know how.

"This isn't about me Harry -," She started.

"No? Who is it about then? Because I was led to believe that a relationship could only work if there were two or more people involved!" He snorted.

Hermione threw her head back, her long hair tumbling across her shoulders and upper back had Harry transfixed once again. "Look Harry, Ron's your friend

and -,"

"You're my friend too."

She sighed, "I know, Harry, but well – boys stick together in these situations don't they?"

"Do they?" He interrupted her again, but she didn't seem to have heard him.

"So I understand if you don't believe that he's been sleeping with other women behind my back. Ginny doesn't think he's do such a thing either!" She continued.

"Wait…Ginny knows?" He spluttered.

Hermione nodded biting her bottom lip and looking down at herself wringing her fingers.

Harry grabbed her hands to stop her doing it. "She never told me."

"I asked her not to. I valued your friendship far too much to have you turn against me too. Help me Harry, I love Ron but I don't know what to do anymore."

Harry followed the trail of tears that ran down her pink cheeks and tried to calm his anger. Eventually he brought his thumbs up to her face to wipe away the tears. Their eyes met and he could see the anguish in her pretty brown orbs that just made his heart melt. "'Mione, if he's hurting you this much then maybe it's for the best if you just end the relationship now before you get in any deeper. I know that you love him, but at least it's only the two of you. You have no ties…imagine if this happens again ten years from now and your married with three children…you'd find it harder then I'm sure!"

He was trying to stay neutral, to not let his feelings for her rule his head. He couldn't push things now.

"I understand Harry." She whispered, desperately trying to avoid his penetrating gaze, "I just don't know what to say to him."

"The truth would be a good place to start, Hermione."

Harry wrapped her in a tight embrace as she wept once more.