Disclaimer: JKR owns HP, not me. And my English are bad, so sorry for the mistakes.
31/12/1999
Just hours before the new millennium, found Ron, dressed as a groom and standing next to a bride dressed Hermione, ready to exchange vows of eternal fidelity and love, in front of all their friends and families. A beautiful day, but omething was wrong though.
"Dear beloveds,
We gathered here today, to celebrate the union of two faithful souls. These two young people…"
Ron stole a glance at Hermione.
Bugger, she's not happy… she's not happy! I couldn't make her happy on our wedding day. I always ruin things. I'm such a tosser, for doing this to her. I can't make her happy!
He knew the reason. She wasn't ready for marriage. Hell, he wasn't either. Then how they ended up two barely 20-years olds getting married without any of them want to?
Ron blamed the parents. If his mother was one time crazy about weddings and babies, then Hermione's mother was ten times worse. The two women literally announce to them that it would be very romantic to get married the last day before millennium and then they started planning every little detail about the wedding ceremony. They wanted to be perfect.
Looking around at the scenery, Ron had to admit that it was really beautiful and every couple would be thrilled to marry in a place like this. It was… magical, as a muggle would say.
But it wasn't enough. Not for him and he was sure not for Hermione. Another stolen glance confirmed that.
Look at her well, you idiot! If you had the balls to stand your ground and not let them ruining your day, she wouldn't be unhappy.
He caught Harry's eyes for a second. He gave him an encouraging nod. He had no idea what that meant.
He then turned back to Hermione. She looked back and gave a small forceful smile in return, before turning her attention back to the old wizard who was performing the ceremony.
She's going to stay with me for a while out of obligation and then she's going to leave me, once she realises her mistake. Not that I'm going to blame her. She can do so much better than me. Why is she still standing next to me in this beautiful wedding dress I have no idea.
Well, she was always a bit mental, so maybe that's why she agreed to marry me.
His eyes widened at the realisation.
Merlin's socks, in a few minutes we're going to be husband and wife! What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? What a married couple do? Am I still going to be free to go out with the guys for a drink or to play some Quidditch? What my duties as a husband are supposed to be? Bring the money home? I'm still in the Academy. How am I supposed to support a family?
Oh, fuck, she's going to bring all the money home! I'm going to be the wife in the family! Shit…
"Being assured that you are aware of the meaning of this ceremony; I will now ask you to repeat the marriage vows," the old wizard said.
"Do you, Hermione Jean Granger, take this man, Ronald Bilius Weasley, to be your lawful wedded husband, to love, honour and cherish him through sickness and in health, through times of happiness and travail, until death do you part?"
Ron held his breath. He felt Hermione's eyes on him, probably for one last confirmation, but he didn't dare to look back. He wasn't sure what scared him more at that moment. Hermione agreeing on marry him, when it was obvious she didn't want to, or refusing to marry him, humiliating him and breaking his heart.
After a few moments of thinking, he realised that he would prefer to be the unhappy one than her.
Please say no! Please say no! Please say no!
"I do!" Hermione said.
Buggering Hell, why? Why Hermione?
He forced a smile and looked around. Everyone had huge smiles on their faces and they were looking forward for his turn.
Look at everyone. They are all expecting me to do the same thing, like it's the easiest thing in the world.
"Do you, Ronald Bilius Weasley, take this woman, Hermione Jean Granger, to be your lawful wedded wife, to love, honor and cherish her through sickness and in health, through times of happiness and travail, until death do you part?"
Yes I do, you moron! But today is not the day! Why can't you all see it?
He knew what he had to do. His mother would faint, his father would give him a disapproval look, Hermione's parents were going to hate him and the entire Wizarding world would want him to spend some vacations in Azkaban for denying The Hermione Granger. But he didn't care. He loved her too much to do this to her.
"I- I need to say something first," he finally said.
A buzz of murmurs was the result of his words and a frowned Hermione who looked red in the face from the embarrassment.
"Ron, are you sure this is the right time? We're in the middle of something important, don't you think?" she said, giving Ron her most dangerous and murderous look she had.
"I know it's a little weird-," Ron began saying to Hermione, but George interrupted him.
"Speak louder! We don't hear a thing back here!"
Ron took a deep breather. "I know it's little weird!" he started shouting and now everyone could hear him loud and clear, and the buzz had stopped too. Everyone wanted to hear what he wanted to say.
"A little? Ron, you're embarrassing us. What are you doing?" Hermione pleaded with him.
He looked at her deeply into her eyes, and he saw that she was hurt by him.
"Are you having second thoughts about us? Is that it?" she asked him with a broken voice.
"You couldn't be more wrong!" he replied sternly.
"Hermione, I love you and I want to make you happy. I've seen brides being happy on their wedding days. Glowing with happiness. But you're not…"
Hermione lowered her eyes that were full of tears and Ron got closer and lifted her chin up and wiped them away with his thump.
"I would gladly give my life for you, Hermione. There is nothing I want more than to make you happy, but I always do something and mess things up. Maybe because I'm a bloody loser," he said sadly.
Hermione snorted. "Ron, stop talking nonsense! People are waiting. If you don't want to marry me just say it and don't try to find excuses," she cried.
"I want to marry you, Hermione! More than anything in this world!" Ron exclaimed passionately.
"And Merlin only knows why, but you want to marry me too! But I know that this wasn't how you imagined it. It's too soon. I know that and you know that. And I don't want us to get married, without being ready and then take a divorce. I don't want to lose you, because we rushed into marriage. I can't lose you. I can't live without you. I won't make it," he said truthfully.
"What this guy said… those vows… is Yes, what you want to hear? I can say it as many times as you want, Hermione, trust me."
He cupped her face with his hands and they both stared at each other's eyes. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Hermione. I want us to have a family and yes, I want to marry you! You have no idea how much I want that," he said softly.
"But I want to marry you only once in my life. And I want that day to see your beautiful smile all the time. And I want that day to be special for us," he said and then he turned around to face the guest and family members.
"And that day it's not today!" he announced loudly.
An even louder buzz of murmurs flooded the caremony now. Everyone had puzzled and concerned expressions on their faces, except Luna who was clapping enthusiastically.
"So, what are you suggesting, Ron?" Hermione asked him in a hopeful voice.
Ron turned back to her. "Let's go somewhere together and grow up. Let's live together for a while. I want to be able to understand better what you want and how I can make you happy."
He kneeled down and grabbed her hand gently. "Hermione Jean Granger, do you want to not get married with me today?"
Hermione smiled genuinely and nodded. "I do!"
Ron smiled too as he got up and their lips found each other. They were kissing with such a passion, ignoring where they were. It was the priest/wizard cough that brought them back to reality.
"And now I pronounce you… Not husband and wife. You may kiss your… still not wife," he said in a teasing way, as he apparently found the whole thing amusing.
Both grinning, they kissed again and when they broke apart, Ron couldn't help but notice how happy Hermione looked. He had made her happy. That's all he wanted.
Turning around again to face the guest and family, he saw that his mother and Hermione's mother had both passed out, and Hermione's father giving him a look that clearly said "when this is over… you're over."
"Wait a minute!" someone yelled and it was Harry the one who did it.
"I know that everyone here came to see a wedding, so maybe there is still a chance for that," he said.
"Harry stop it, we know what we are doing," Hermione said grinning at Ron.
"I'm not talking about you, Hermione," Harry simply stated and walked to where Ginny was standing. He stopped in front of her and kneeled down.
"It was here about 3 years ago, in Bill's and Fleur's wedding, when I knew that I was in love with you, Ginny. Your Aunt Muriel made a nasty comment about your beautiful dress and you just looked at me and winked. I can't get that image off my mind since then," he said taking Ginny's hand.
"When our eyes locked that day, my mind travelled back to our afternoon walks and the time we spend alone in all those lonely parts in Hogwarts."
He turned to Ron. "Which is where I actually went, Ron, and not to visit Dumbledore for a secret meeting," he said apologetically.
"Sneaky git!" Ron snapped.
Harry looked back at Ginny. "These moments we spend together, were so amazing, that I wondered if it was just my imagination. I even told myself, that there were too good to be true. That I was just stealing shining hours from a normal person's life."
His words practically melt all women's heart in that room.
"When the War was over, I realised I had an actual chance in happiness. And one thing was constantly on my mind. That all those moments with you that I thought I could never had again, all the foolish dreams I had of you and me together, could still come true."
He kneeled down. "I don't have a ring with me and I probably chose the worst time to say it, but I want to marry you Ginny. And I want to marry you now."
"What do you say?" he asked her, staring deeply into her eyes hoping for a positive answer.
"Of course, I'll marry you, Harry," Ginny said through her tears of happiness.
Harry got up and gave her a soft kiss. "I love you!"
"I love you!" Ginny said too, kissing him back.
Ron and Hermione were more than thrilled to give them their wedding rings. It wasn't meant to be on their fingers that day, but it was fine for them. Time wasn't right. It wasn't their day. It was Harry's and Ginny's day. Their wedding day.
That right time for Ron and Hermione came 3 years later and looking back at their wedding album 80 years later, they both agree that it was the smartest thing Ron ever did, to not let them get married that day.
A/N: I hope you liked it. You can review and tell me.
The story was supposed to finish without the H/G part, but I always loved that part in Bill/Fleur's wedding where Harry is thinking what Ginny and what they have means to him. That's why I hate it when people are commenting that Harry settled for Ginny. That part proved that only Ginny could make him feel normal, and it's the biggest proof that they are soulmates like JKR called them.
Happy New Year! I wish everything you you wish for,, to come true :)