This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Please read & Review – going to be 2 versions of this story, one focusing on Hermione and one on Ron.
Thinking back:
Hermione had been in love with professor McGonagall for many years but she realized that it would never be. She didn't even know if Minerva was a lesbian or not, and she had been hiding her feelings for so long, she just couldn't imagine it ever getting to that point where she could admit to what she feels about her. Transfiguration was always her favourite subject; she revelled in all the praise she got from Minerva, every time she handed in an assignment, or got a question right in class.
So when 7th year came around, after the great battle, she decided with Ron that they could both benefit from getting together. Everyone always thought the two of them would end up together, and in some ways they were even closer to one another than they were with Harry. They both loved Harry dearly, Ron even more than her. Ron had thought that his hero worship of Harry would leave him once he got to knew him, but he couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with Harry, and Hermione understood him perfectly. She knew that both of them would likely never get what they wanted, and so they would settle. They would have a family, and they would be happy together. They had the same ideals about marriage and children and Ron would be a great father.
Hermione first came to Ron with her plan shortly after Harry hooked up with Ginny. Hermione couldn't understand what he saw in her, even though she herself had become friends with the female Weasley. Thinking back to the day, she wondered when she had begun to doubt that they were making the right choice. She had always wanted to be a professor at Hogwarts, but with her crush on the headmistress, she knew that things would never work out with that.
"Ron, I think we should talk." Hermione said one day when they were alone together. Harry was out somewhere with Ginny, and she had considered this for weeks, it was time to tell him what she thought. At this point, both of them knew the other was gay, and pining for some unrequited love. Ron just nodded in reply, and put down the magazine he was holding. "What is it Hermione? Do you want to try and convince me to go speak to Harry again?' He asked despondently.
"No, I think we should date." Hermione said and the expression on Ron's face became puzzled. "But, I'm gay, 'Mione. So are you." He replied.
"I know, but neither of us wants to tell anyone, and won't be able to get the one we love. We will be amazing together." Hermione explained. Ron agreed that he would consider that, and they left it at that, Ron picked up his magazine and continued reading the article about broom polishing he was busy with.
A few weeks later, Ron came to speak to her again, and all he said was: "I think you're right, we should date." Hermione didn't need more than that, and that was how they had gotten together. Harry was pleased for them, he had been expecting them to get together, and he was glad that they were happy. Harry was planning on breaking things of with Ginny, but he was worried what they would say, especially Ron when he heard that Harry was not going to marry into the family after all. Harry had considered the fact that he might be bisexual. He had always noticed that there was some spark between him and Malfoy that was more than hate. Perhaps he was in love with Draco? He wouldn't have been shocked if this was the case.
When the golden trio started working, Hermione and Ron decided they were going to get married. Harry, on the other hand, became close with his former nemesis. Ron was horrified when he found out that Harry and Draco had started dating. Then he realized how stupid this was, he should have told Harry that he loved him, but he was too scared of rejection and now it was too late to do anything about it. Hermione was worried that this meant that Harry and Ron would actually end up together. Selfishly, she had to admit that she wanted Ron, she got used to being around him and she didn't want to let him go.
"Ron, we should try having sex." Hermione said, blanching at the thought. They were about a month away from the wedding, and Hermione realized that this façade of theirs would be no use if they couldn't even manage to have a family together. Nobody would buy that a couple that in love would not manage to get pregnant. She knew that Mrs Weasley was expecting them to have a bunch of kids together, and Hermione to stay at home and raise them.
Ron understood where she was going with this, and as much as he was dreading this, he knew they had to get this over with. The thought of having sex with a woman was terrible to him, he had no idea how he would go through with this. Both of them were definitely gay, and the only way they managed to get through their first time was by imaging they were with someone else, for Ron, this was Harry, and for Hermione, this was Minerva.
As Hermione was thinking back on all the years, she couldn't help but smile at how they managed to get things so messed up. Hermione had found a job she liked, and so did Ron and Harry. Hermione had become undersecretary to the minister. Harry and Ron had both become aurors, as everyone had expected. It was easy to take the safe path, Hermione realized, taking risks were scary, and you never had any guarantees that everything would work out the way one planned. This was why she was dressed up in white, carrying a flower bouquet that she had no say in what it looked like, wondering whether or not she was making a mistake in walking down the aisle with her childhood friend.