Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my ideas. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling
Author's Note: this is something new I've been working on for quite some time! I promise I'm not giving up on Drowning on Dry Land, I'm doing both! Please read & review, and let me know what you think! Happy reading!
Chapter One: I Don't
August 1, 2002
"Hermione, are you almost ready?"
Hermione Granger was breathing quickly. Quicker and quicker with each breath she took. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and knew.
She wasn't ready.
She would never be ready.
She couldn't do this.
She wouldn't do this.
"Just a minute!" she called out to Ginny, trying to keep her voice steady.
She looked at her reflection again. Her eyes were brimming with the tears that she desperately wanted to keep in. Sure, people might be saying that she looked absolutely beautiful today. So beautiful in fact that she reduced Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, Luna and even Fleur all to tears. She even saw Harry's eyes getting misty.
Her wedding dress was gorgeous, even Hermione had to admit that. It was tight along her body, until it puffed out with layers of fabric at the waist. It was glittery in all the right places, and the sweetheart strapless neckline was perfect. Her veil shimmered just along with the dress.
She had thought that she could do this until she had put on the dress. It wasn't until she was standing in Ginny's old room at the Burrow in her stunning wedding gown that she knew she couldn't do this.
She couldn't contain the tears anymore. She breathed quicker still as the tears fell from her cheeks. She glanced around the room, searching for a spare piece of parchment to write on.
She had to leave. But she couldn't leave without at least writing something down.
Today was Hermione's wedding day. Her and Ron were getting married. They'd gotten together about a year or so after the War had ended. They'd been together for three years since then, with Ron proposing just six months ago.
All the while, Hermione had had her doubts. She loved Ron, there was no doubt about that, but she wasn't ever sure if she loved him in the right way. The way he deserved to be loved. The way that he undoubtedly loved her. When he had proposed to her, she hadn't felt excited or happy like a normal girl would. She'd felt sad and trapped. But looking at the hopeful expression on Ron's face, she couldn't say no. She knew that ever since they had been younger, everyone had been hoping for them to get together, and Hermione didn't like to disappoint.
She wished that her Mother was here. She needed to talk to her. But both of her parents had been killed in the Muggle raids. Harry, who was Ron's best man, was going to give her away. She had asked him to. He was her best friend. Ginny was her maid of honour, followed by Luna as her other bridesmaid.
"Come on, Hermione!" she heard Harry call.
The door inched open and Harry popped his head in. "You ready?" he asked.
Hermione turned her face away from him, trying to subtly wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Yeah, in-in a minute. I'll... I'll meet you outside." she said.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked, concern slipping into his voice.
That was the problem with being best friends with someone for 12 years; they knew when you were upset.
"Yes, Harry. I'm fine. I'll meet you in a minute."
"Okay."
Harry didn't sound convinced, but she heard the door close behind her anyways. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't do this.
"Mummy?"
Hermione froze. She turned around to see her little girl, her whole entire world, standing in the doorframe, sporting a bright purple dress and a halo of daisies upon her bright blonde hair.
Meredith.
Approximately three and a half years ago, Hermione had given birth to a beautiful baby girl. The father being the love of her life. No one knew who her father was, except for Hermione. She had gotten pregnant during the final battle and laid low during the months of her pregnancy. She had stayed with Harry and Ginny, who had quickly learned not to pry at who the father was.
"Yes, love?" Hermione sniffed.
"Mummy, why is you crying?" Meredith asked, running into the room.
Ron was great with Meredith. He and Harry had been the only father figures that she had ever known. Ron never asked who the father was either, for which Hermione was grateful.
"I..." Hermione squeaked, knowing it was pointless to lie to her three and a half year old daughter. She was too damn smart for her own good, much like her mother.
"Mummy, you is getting married! You don't cry when you is getting married!" Meredith yelled, crossing her arms.
"I know, Meredith. But, I need to tell you something, and you can't tell anyone except for Uncle Harry, okay?" Hermione said, bending down to become the height of her daughter.
Meredith nodded eagerly. "Secret?"
"Yes, a secret."
"What is it, Mummy?"
Hermione took a deep breath. She knew that she should stay, suck it up and marry Ron, but... she just couldn't. It wasn't like Meredith called Ron 'Daddy', she called him Uncle Ron. She knew that he wasn't her dad.
"I... I can't marry Uncle Ron today." she said slowly.
"Can you marry him tomorrow?" Meredith asked innocently.
Hermione chuckled softly at her little girl. "No, love. I can't marry him at all. And, I need to leave right now. Now, you can only tell Uncle Harry, but only after you count to sixty, okay?"
"Why Mummy?"
"Because I have to leave. Now, can you pay very close attention to what I want you to tell Uncle Harry?"
Meredith nodded eagerly. Hermione wanted to take Meredith with her right now, but Meredith didn't like Side-Along Apparation, and that was the only way to get away from the Burrow.
"You tell him that I am very sorry, but I'm going to the Leaky Cauldron, and he needs to get some of your things and bring you there for me, okay?" Hermione said, her voice breaking.
"Okay, Mummy!"
Hermione pulled her daughter into a hug and let more tears fall. "I'm so sorry, Meredith. I know you like Uncle Ron, but I just can't marry him, okay? One day, when you're older, I'll explain everything, okay?"
"Okay, Mummy." Meredith whispered.
Hermione let go and stood up. She continued her frantic search for a piece of parchment and a quill. When locating them, she stopped.
What could she write?
She was leaving Ron at the altar.
There were no words.
She was going to hurt him so much. But, there was no way she could go through with this. The thought of being with Ron for the rest of her life made her head hurt. She loved him, she did. But she knew what true love was, and this was not it.
Hermione had felt true love before, many years ago. She still remembered it. She craved it. She needed it. To be happy with someone for the rest of her life, she needed to be truly in love with them.
And Ron just wasn't the one.
Tell Ron I'm sorry.
As Hermione laid the piece of parchment on Ginny's bed, she let out a sob. She was going to destroy Ron. Everyone was going to hate her.
Hermione grabbed her beaded bag from Ginny's dresser, the one she had carried with her everywhere during the year that her, Ron and Harry had hunted Horcruxes. She zoomed around the room, shrinking all her possessions and sending them into the bag. She pulled it over her shoulder and crept out of the room.
"Accio Invisibility Cloak." she whispered, holding out her wand.
The cloak zoomed out of Ron's old room and she caught it with ease. She felt bad stealing Harry's cloak; but how else was she supposed to get out?
She'd send it back once she was far enough away from the house. She just needed to get far enough away from the Anti-Apparation wards to be able to Apparate.
"Okay, Meredith. I'm going to wear Uncle Harry's Cloak, and you won't be able to see me any more. We're going to go downstairs, and after you count to sixty, you're going to take Uncle Harry away from everyone else and tell him what I told you, okay?" Hermione instructed quietly.
Meredith nodded. "Okay, let's go, love." Hermione whispered. She bunched up the end of her dress and pulled it over her.
Meredith quickly hopped down the stairs. Hermione slowly crept down the stairs, pausing in the kitchen as she saw Ron and Harry. Meredith ran towards them and past, standing in the corner of the kitchen with her eyes closed. Hermione watched as she mouthed numbers, counting.
"Wait 'till you see her, mate. She looks beautiful." Harry said with a grin on her face.
"She always looks beautiful." Ron added.
"You and Hermione are actually getting married."
"Speaking of Ron getting married; can I speak with you for a minute, Harry?"
Hermione slowly turned around, making sure she made no noise and saw Ginny coming down the stairs in her bridesmaid dress.
"Sure." Harry said, walking over to the staircase.
Hermione darted out of his way quickly, not daring to breath. She watched as Ron stepped out of the Burrow and into the yard, where she knew there was a large tent decorated beautifully for the wedding ceremony.
"Harry... I think Hermione's gone." Ginny whispered, just loud enough for Hermione to hear.
Hermione knew that she needed to get out. She needed to leave, but she couldn't leave without hearing a few more words of their conversation.
"What? What do you mean you think Hermione's gone?" Harry whispered back.
"I... I was in the loo, and then I went into my room to get Hermione and... and I found this." Ginny said.
Hermione watched as Ginny showed the note to Harry. Harry's eyebrows flew up in surprise.
"Damn it." Harry whispered, slamming his forehead against his palm. "I knew something was up with her. Last time I went up there, she sounded near to tears. I shouldn't have left her alone. Damn it."
"Harry, this isn't your fault." Ginny said, stepping to him and rubbing his shoulder gently.
"I know, I know, just..." Harry sighed, trailing off.
"What do we tell everyone? What do we tell Ron?" Ginny whispered fearfully.
"This is going to crush him."
Hermione heard approaching footsteps and inched closer to the back door. Ron returned with a nervous, yet happy smile on his face and walked to Harry and Ginny.
"Well? Is she ready?" he asked, practically beaming.
Harry and Ginny exchanged a look and quickly grasped each other's hands for support.
"Ron..." Harry started slowly.
"What? What is it?" asked Ron, his facial features falling.
"Ron, she's gone. Hermione's gone." Ginny said quickly.
Ron's face paled, as he quickly glanced between Ginny and Harry.
"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?" he demanded.
"We... we don't know. I went up to my room and... she wasn't there and I found this."
Ginny handed the note to Ron and she watched as Ron's heart broke in front of her.
"No, no, no. There-there has to be a mistake! She can't be gone! We're getting married right now! She's... she's not gone!" Ron yelled, bounding behind Harry and Ginny and running up the stairs. "Hermione? Hermione!"
"Uncle Harry! Uncle Harry!" Meredith cried.
Harry paused on the stairs, turning down to speak to Meredith. He crouched in front of her and nodded.
"Yes, Meredith?" he asked, his voice quick and anxious.
"Mummy told me to tell you that she's very sorry and she needs you to bring me to the Leaky Cauldron withs some of my things." Meredith said with a nod.
Harry's mouth dropped open and Hermione knew that she could see no more. She didn't like leaving without Meredith, but she had no choice. Besides, she knew that Harry would run on water for her daughter, so there was no doubt that he would bring her to Hermione.
Hermione had heard enough. She walked over to the door and opened it without a sound. She walked away from the Burrow quickly, only looking back when she knew she was out of sight. She pulled off the cloak and sent it back to the Burrow, where she knew it would land safe in Harry's arms.
She choked back a sob and turned away from the Burrow. She thought of Ron, the man she was supposed to love and cherish for the rest of time. Then she thought of the man that she wanted to love and cherish for the rest of time.
She should have known that there was no getting over him, for it was his face that popped into her mind when Ron had proposed to her.
She had been with Ron for three years. It had been comfortable. It had been predictable. She thought back to when she had been with him. It had never been predictable; in fact their entire relationship in itself was completely unpredictable. Of course over the years while she had been with Ron, she had thought of him, and their relationship. She still remembered how it felt to kiss him, how it felt to be safe in his arms, how it felt to just be with him.
It had never felt that way with Ron. Never.
And that was why she couldn't marry him.
With one last sob, Hermione turned and Apparated away.
. . .
Draco Malfoy was strolling along a London road. He was headed to the Leaky Cauldron to have a drink. He had just left another girl, and needed to desperately clear his head.
He was getting sick of all the women. After the last battle of the War, he had had so many failed relationships, beginning with Astoria Greengrass. That had been his Mother's choice, and he had reluctantly agreed to make her happy. His dad was in Azkaban, and he wanted to do anything to make his mum smile at least once.
They'd lasted for about a year before they'd mutually broken it off. Draco had said from the beginning that he wasn't looking to marry anyone, ever. Astoria wanted marriage. It was never for longterm; they both knew that.
Since then, Draco had been with countless women. A few relationships lasting a number of months, and many, many one night stands.
He hated that he had become the type of guy that left women the morning after sex before they woke up. But he was that guy. He wasn't looking for a relationship.
He couldn't give his heart to anyone. Someone already had it.
He had been planning to marry the love of his life. They had talked about it, years and years ago when they were both so young. But he knew that the both of them knew it was the real deal.
Neither one of them had just been saying it. They had both meant it.
At least, he had.
He'd pictured standing at the end of an aisle, watching the girl of his dreams walk towards him in a beautiful wedding dress, with happy tears in her eyes.
He sighed, trying to push the image out of his mind as he opened the door to the Leaky Cauldron.
The pub was almost empty, except for a few random stragglers passing through. While the place was still popular, it had definitely lost business in the last few years. Most people simply passed through to Diagon Alley, never stopping for a drink.
Draco didn't know why. He often stayed in a cheap room here when he'd had too much to drink. Merlin knew how many girls he'd had upstairs.
He pictured the girl again; his girl. Every woman he was with just made him crave her more. He needed her.
As Draco walked to the bar to order, he stopped, gasping at the sudden appearance in front of him. He couldn't believe it. He must have a super active imagination.
This wasn't happening.
She wasn't in front of him.
She wasn't real.
"Dr-Draco?" she asked tearfully.
Draco blinked, stepping closer to her, reaching out and poking her arm to make sure she was real. He made quick contact with her soft, cold skin and pulled away as quick as he could.
The love of his life was standing in front of him.
In a wedding dress not so different than the one he had been picturing moments ago.
The love of his life.
Hermione Granger.
Author's Note: Well, again, PLEASE read and review! Reviews always make my day and I'd love to get some feedback!