AN: Sorry for not posting another chapter of any of my works, but this one-shot came to me while listening to a particular song by Rascal Flatts. This story starts about five years after the end of The Battle of Hogwarts and Ron is being a total prat to Hermoine, so she goes to a bar to get away for him for a bit…
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, or the lyrics to the song. I'm using them to convey a universe of my creation.
Watching You Walk Away
Hermoine walked into O'Shatney Pub and noticed that there was a sign up for tonight's amateur night. She and Harry have traded a letter here and there and she knew that he had visited America and had learned to play some instruments, such as the guitar and violin.
She knew that her "boyfriend" was jealous of her connection to Harry and her intellect and drive. She figured that eventually that those things would go away. But she didn't think that Ron would ever be a pureblood bigot, even if only to her. Her cheek still stung from her return from an interview with the Ministry last week, and her lower lips still protest any movement after Ron had discovered that she was made an Undersecretary. She tried not thinking about those events, but after a round she became depressed as she focused on her choice in boyfriend and why did she choose him. But then the announcer for the amateur night came up on stage to get the first contestant up and begin the event. "Tonight, we start off with a regular here. He goes by Harry, and has chosen to continue his picks with country music with a Rascal Flatts song dedicated to one of his schoolmates that is in the building."
Hermoine looked at the stage to recognize the mop of black hair and green eyes, though the eyes looked sad and made him look like he had just cried. Harry said, "This is a song I learned from the band itself after I told them about my friend. So here goes nothing,"
"I can take the rain the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tear now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once and a while
Even though going on with you gone
Still upsets me
There are days now and again
I pretend that I'm ok
But that not what gets me
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing what could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But Im doing it
It's hard to force that smile when I see our friends
And I'm alone
Still harder getting up, getting dressed, living with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade, give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing what could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
He, he, yah
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing what could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
Ohhhhh
Not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do"
Hermoine was aghast as she felt Harry's emotions in this song. He regretted that he chose Ginny, but why did he regret it. As she approached, Harry looked up and pointed at a booth in a far corner. They went over and gave each other a hug before they sat down. Then Harry confessed a few things. As it turns out, Ginny made the same mistake the Merope Gaunt did with Tom Riddle Sr. Harry was able to break its hold on him during his trip to America and was able to pick up on the plans Mrs. Weasly had for both himself and Ron. Harry was in the American Southeast when he met a band just getting started and he told them a bit about his life, inspiring a few of their songs, though officially they wouldn't be released for a few years, due to their contracts.
Hermoine was amazed by everything that Harry had told her, and didn't doubt a word of it, with one exception. "Harry, if she stopped feeding it to you, why did it have a hold on you? When Merope stopped, Tom knew immediately," Hermoine inquired. Harry's response was something that they were never taught. "Hermoine, potions of any sort require the magic of the applicant in order to work for any duration longer that a day. I was doused for three years with a fairly strong love potion, the only reason I didn't start yelling my admiration for Ginny was my body's ability to resist any type of compulsion placed on me." They talked for a long time and in the end, decided to start dating.
One year later, a couple flew into Nashville, TN to have their wedding. They went there as the day before the wedding was the ACM awards, where a group that were friends with the couple were nominated for awards. The group won their awards and thanked their friend for supporting them.
Harry and Hermoine looked over the group they had picked for their wedding. The band was the one that, unintentionally, got them together. The man of honor was Fred Weasly and the bride's maid was Luna Lovegood. The wedding was short and sweet. The song played as they left was "Life is a Highway". Harry and Hermoine had five kids. The kids attended muggle school while being taught about magic at home. Hermoine eventually became the Minister of Magic, while Harry bought the bar that Harry played at, with Harry and Hermoine playing there a few nights a week, often doing county songs. They lived a very good life with minimal interruptions.
AN: Yes, I did have Ron rape Hermoine, but then Ron is a jealous asshole who knows nothing other than to argue with here, insult her, eat, or play chess. He would have seen it as getting o
one over on her as she would probably try to keep that kind of thing from happening until after marriage. Please, if you love it or hate it R&R.
