There was a time when I thought that we were going to get married, George and I. After the war with Voldemort, I told him I loved him. The only other people I'd told before that were Ginny, my redheaded best friend and George's youngest and only sister, and Fred, George's twin. Before Fred had died, we'd shared some words. "What is it, Fred?" I asked, nodding. I didn't want to think about if anything happened to him. "If I die, you need to tell him." I needed no further explanation. He wanted me to tell George I'd loved him. "You need to." "No questions asked, Fred." I said, smiling. He started to walk away, when I pulled his arm. He turned around and I pulled him into a hug. "Thanks for keeping your promise and not telling him." "No problem, Mione. What are friends for?" Fred asked, returning the hug. "Please, tell him for me." "Can't it wait, Mione?" He asked, wiping his eyes. I'd long given up the hope of wiping my eyes. As soon as I did, the old tears would be replaced by new ones. "Not really. It's… it's about Fred. Kind of." I said, choking up. He followed me away from the Weasley family, who was standing over the lifeless body of a boy that had been like a brother to me. "I talked to Fred before the battle and I promised something to him. I promised him that if…" I sobbed. "If he died, I would do something for him." "What did you tell him you'd do?" George asked, puzzled. He wiped his eyes again. He obviously couldn't see what this had to do with him. "I told him I would tell you that…" I took a deep breath to steady myself. "I love you, George."
"Hermione, if anything happens to me, I need you to promise me something." Fred said, grabbing me by the shoulders. He was in a hurry, as was everyone else. What everyone hoped would be the final battle was about to begin.
Those were the final words Fred had said to me before he died. They still rang in my head. Tell him for me. And amidst all the death, the mourning, the despair, there was a little bit of hope for me when I told him.
"George, I need to talk to you." I mumbled. Both of us had tearstained faces. Who wouldn't have cried when they found out their twin, their other half, had died?
Thinking about that brought tears to my eyes. Here I was, sitting at the wedding of the man I loved and a woman I loathed. Her name was Victoria. She was much too proper for my liking, and her entire family was too snobby. One could tell it was a member of Victoria's family at the wedding because they would be wearing pastel colors. Apparently it made them look more sophisticated. I thought it made them look like baby throw up.
My mind dwelled on the days following the final battle. Of course, there was much mourning. Much of my days with George in the few months following the battle were spent crying, comforting each other, not saying a single word.
I heard a knock on Ginny's door, which I chose to ignore. I was half asleep and the sun had not yet risen. It had to be around three or four in the morning. Whoever was knocking was persistent, because I next heard the door open and someone lightly shaking me. I opened my eyes to see George, tears running down his cheeks. He didn't need to say any words. I nodded in return to his pleading looks, and he lifted up the covers and climbed under them. He buried his face in my neck and I put my arms around him. "It's going to be okay, George. Everything is going to be okay," I assured him. I felt his body convulsing with sobs as I stroked his hair. I kissed his temple. This continued for about an hour until his voice was hoarse and his eyes stung from crying. "I love you, 'Mione. I really do." George croaked. "I know, I love you too." I gave him a kiss. "Just go to sleep, everything is going to be okay." "Promise?" "Yes. I do promise." I said, kissing him again. "I promise that everything will be okay. I don't know how long it's going to take, but eventually, the pain will go away. Eventually, everything will be normal again." I began to stroke his hair again until I felt his breathing steady and his red, puffy eyes close. "I love you, George. And I always will."
Everything we had didn't matter now. He had Victoria. I had helped him through the darkest time of his life and he had repaid me by choosing her. I didn't know what to do with myself. I still loved him, even if he was going to be a married man.
The ceremony was about to begin. Everyone had taken their seats and everyone at the front was in place. George was standing there, looking at me. I gave him a weak smile and continued looking down. The music began and I saw Victoria and her father coming down the aisle. Victoria shot me a look of disgust, but what did it matter to me?
She had won. She got the man. I got nothing except heartbreak, which never left me.
Even after George and I had broken up, I was still invited over to the Weasley home for dinners. Mrs. Weasley had almost insisted, and I told her I didn't want to impose. At first, it was simply awkward because the two of us had been so close. It was quiet without George and I making side comments to each other. Today, however, was much more than awkward. It was heartbreaking. I'd seen George bring his girlfriend, Victoria, over for dinner quite a few times before, but I never thought it would get this serious. When dinner had been cleared from the table, George and Victoria stood up. "We have an announcement," George said, clearing his throat, grabbing Victoria's hand and smiling. "We're getting married!" Victoria squealed. I felt like my entire body had been shoved into freezing cold water on the coldest winter day. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest. Did she really say married? I let a tear fall from my face as I excused myself from the table, but once I had left the company of the Weasley family and Harry, there was nothing holding back the flow of tears that began spilling out. I didn't know how long it had been, but Victoria must have bid George farewell for the night, because he was the first person to walk into Ginny's room after me. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "Don't be." I said bitterly. "I can see you're happy. Don't let the fact that I'm not stop you. Maybe, one day, when you're older and you have children, you'll regret choosing her over me. Remember who helped you through after Fred died. Remember who let you cry into their arms for months afterwards." "You said you'd never bring that up," George said, a hurt look taking over his handsome features. "Well, you said you'd always be there, that you'd love me forever. Forever didn't last very long once she came along, did it?" I said. I was sending him daggers. "I don't care, anyway. Have a happy life with Victoria. I hope you have a ton of little redheaded babies and they all remind you of Fred. That way, when you look at their faces, it'll hurt." With that, I walked out of the room, wiping tears from my eyes once again. When I was out of sight, I disapparated to a place I was too familiar with: Fred's grave. George and I had spent hours here together. "Fred, why did he do this? I thought you would stop him. I thought you would send him back to me. You were the one who told me I should tell him. All it's caused me is hurt. I feel like my heart isn't working right. I don't like it… Fred, why?" I asked.
I noticed the way he looked at her, like he was unsatisfied. He didn't want her. She may have walked down the aisle like she was the winner of a beauty pageant, but I knew – or at least, I hoped – that he would have rather had me walking down the aisle. I had done so much more for him, I knew him so much better.
"Is there any reason why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony?" The preacher asked. "Speak now or forever hold you peace."
That was when I stood up, my hands shaking. Everyone in the place turned towards me. I looked at their faces, a range of emotions filling their faces – rage, confusion, pain. I didn't care about any of them.
I looked George straight in the eye. He had an amused look on his face, like he could see this coming. That made me a little angry. "Five years ago, your brother died at the final battle against Voldemort. Before the battle began, I made a promise to Fred Weasley… that I would tell you I loved you. And I did. I went with my gut and told you I loved you, George… What happened to us? I still love you, you're marrying the wrong girl. It should be me!" I didn't realize it, but I was screaming by the time I was finished.
He looked at me, smiling. "You're right, Hermione. I shouldn't be marrying Victoria. I should be marrying you. You were the only reason I got through after… after he died. You kept me from going insane, kept me functioning and normal. I loved you. I still do love you." He then turned to Victoria. "I'm sorry, I can't marry you. I don't… I don't love you."
He took his ring off, grabbed my hand and we disapparated. The next thing I knew, I was back at the wedding. Ginny was nudging me in the ribs, "Pay attention, Mione."
"Speak now or forever hold your peace." There was silence. No one stood up to protest. I was holding back tears, but nobody knew the true reason: I still loved him, and I was watching him marry a girl who didn't love him back. I zoned back into what the preacher was saying in time to hear him say, "... Mr. and Mrs. George Weasley. You may now kiss the bride." And that was just what George Weasley did.
I let a single tear escape my eyes and I felt my stomach turn into a knot, but not the good kind. It was done. He was no longer mine. He was a married man. "It should have been me. I loved him," I whispered as the newly married couple walked down the aisle for the first time together.