What If……
Written by: Ashlie L'Homme
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry potter, while I wish I did The great creativity came from J.K. Rowling. But, I do own the plot of this fanfic.
Summary: If you knew you married the wrong person, what would you do? Could you bear to pretend to love him, when really your heart went out to someone else? Would you be bale to conceal this secrete from both of the men, each of whom you love? If they got suspicious, would you cave? And, if you had the chance to change the past, to end the marriage before it happens, to save your husband from a future of pain, and to go back, but to never see your daughter again, would you dare do it….?
She had stood at the alter only two ago. Two years that felt like two endless eternities. They continued to stretch out, each day as if longer than the previous. It wasn't a terrible marriage And it wasn't entirely loveless, either. But, since that day, when she stood at the top of the alter, she had hidden a terrible secrete. There was her fiance, standing tall, trying to flatten his hair in a nervous bout. There was a grin on his face, but a nervous grin. Behind him, stood his best man, and best mate for the past eight years. Her best friend, Ginny Weasley, her maid of honor, waited with a solemn smile.
Everyone waited.
She was taking up time. She needed to go.
For a fleeting second, Hermione almost threw her bouquet and run. A mad desire of hers urged her to leave, to run far, far away. It wasn't that she was nervous, everybody got pre-weddign jitters. Her eyes had fallen not on Harry, whom she was to marry, but on his best man. Gangly Ron Weasley caught her eye. They kept eye contact for a second. Too short to read what was written in his eyes. She only knew it was of importance. But now, the young man of twenty had looked down at his feet. With her eyes locked on Ron, Hermione had started down the aisle, heart racing with such an intensity, she partly expected to have an attack and fall over.
The sermon was unbearable. Harry's eyes were on her the whole time, that nervous smile pasted upon his face, eyes glittering. He held both of Hermione's hands within his own, trembling a little. Enough to make Hermione ill with guilt. She had to stop this! She couldn't possibly go through her life like this, her marriage a lie, could she? Yet, she could not find the words to voice this. Every so often, her eyes would slide upon Ron. A shiver ran down her spine. Guild was consuming her. Ron's eyes would meet her own, and hold them for an electrifying second, until dizzziness swept over Hermione and she'd look away.
Ron knew It was obvious to Hermione Ron knows
"Does anyone have any reason to object to he marriage of these two?"
Ron shifted slightly. Hermione saw it.
No body objected. The sermon continued.
By the end, after that long eternity, Hermione was crying. While Harry kissed her, she was crying. They all thought she was happy. Crying those happy tears, so consumed with joy.
She was consumed with Guilt. And hate for herself.
Her marriage would always be a lie.
After the wedding, Hermione went to the reception. She danced with everyone. Everyone except Ron. Ron left early. She hadn't seen him in these two years. She missed him. She needed to talk to him, to see one last time, to be able to know if it was true. True what she felt. To know what he felt.
He'd written to Harry. He was coming to visit. For the first time in two years, Hermione would see Ron. And she'd talk to him. She'd have to tell him. She didn't love Harry. Not in that way. Not a love that you wed for. She loved Harry as her brother, as her best friend.
She loved someone else, and he needed to know this.