Author's Note:
Wow. Finished this in about two hours for a competition. Stressing man.
Anyway, I hope you guys like this.
It's slightly AU in that it's set in the muggle world.
And italics are about the past.
Normal letters, refer to the present.
Enjoy the story :D
She looked up at the clock that hung above the fireplace. It was five to eleven. He would be coming soon.
She moved to the last of the tables, those nearest to the bar. They were clean, but she still had to clean them. That way, she felt better, she felt like she was taking proper care of Ron's baby.
Just as she finished the last of the tables and moved back behind the bar, she heard the door open. He was here. She looked up, at him, as he walked towards the bar. His eyes were firmly fixed on the phone in his palm.
"Hey Handsome," she smiled at him when he took a seat and finally looked at her.
He smiled back, a grimace more than anything. She put the cleaning rag away.
"What can I get you?" She asked, voice soft, former exuberance muted.
"Something strong please," He said with a soft look.
She turned to her work station. What to create? She puzzled for a while as she looked at her wide array of drinks. Which ones to use? She prided herself on creating the right concoction for each of her patrons. A drink came to mind.
She picked out whiskey.
The first time he had come in, it was seven months after Ron had died.
She had learnt to go on without his beautiful smile, without his bright blue eyes. Eyes that reminded her of sunny days. She tried her best to forget. But sometimes, it was hard to find a reason to smile, to go on.
One Tuesday, he had come in. One hour to midnight. That was when he entered their pub. No. Her pub. With his bright green eyes, dishevelled black hair and cheery grin, he had come in. And for the first time after Ron's death, she felt something. Infatuation.That was all it was.
The pub was empty and he was the only patron. He came over to the bar and sat down.
"Hey Beautiful," he grinned at her.
"Hey Handsome," she smiled back.
Next was cinammon schnapps.
"So you own this place alone?" He asked, glancing at her curiously before taking a long drink from his beer.
She looked at the bar top, wondering if she should reveal it all. They had somehow struck a friendship. He always came in at eleven, every Tuesday night, unless he was busy. Then he would come the next week.
Tuesday nights were their nights.
"I owned this with my fiance." She said after a long pause.
She never met his eyes as she told him of Ron's battle with cancer. She tried not to cry as she told him Ron's last words, that she should find happiness. She finally broke down as she told him how she never met Ron's family any more. She couldn't face them. Not any more. But sometimes, Ron's younger sister would call and check up on her.
She told him everything. It was the first time she had told anyone about any of it.
He held both her hands tightly and didn't say a word as she let the tears flow.
Ice. And add them all in the shaker.
One Tuesday she heard feminine laughter when the door opened at eleven.
Her back was to the door, and she froze. She didn't want to believe it, but, it was happening. Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again. The last time she had felt this way was when Ron died.
"Hey Beautiful," she heard his soft voice. She turned. He was sitting on the bar stool in front of her. A woman was at one of the corners of the shop, looking at the paintings that decorated the walls of the pub. She focused on him, trying her best not to let her emotions show.
Then the woman came closer and her heart broke all over again.
"Harry, this place looks beau-" The red haired woman stopped short when she saw her.
"Hermione?" Her eyes were filling with tears as she rushed towards the brown haired bartender. She just stood still as the red haired woman rushed behind the counter and hugged her.
"Ginny..." She was stunned.
It had been a year since she had seen any Weasley. Now, she saw Ginny, her former best friend. It had been a month since they had last talked.
"We looked all over for you!" She exclaimed through her tears.
He stood there, looking at them both.
"Harry! This is Hermione. She was supposed to marry my brother." Ginny said, arms around her, while looking at him.
"Ron." He answered.
"Did I tell you about Ron?" Ginny asked confused.
He didn't answer.
"Hermione, this is Harry, my boyfriend."
She shook it.
"I proposed to her." He said.
She didn't reply. She didn't have to. He already knew how she felt. She already knew how he felt. But they wouldn't do anything. Because of Ginny. They both loved her too much to hurt her.
That day she served him tequila.
And she drank with him.
Drank till she lost her senses.
Drank till she forgot.
She served it in a glass. Then poured rum. And lighted it up before serving him.
"What is this?" he asked, looking at the flames.
"Firewhiskey," she answered when their eyes met.
He blew the flames out, then took a long gulp and finished the drink. He set the empty glass down, and looked at her.
"Ginny dumped me." He whispered, green eyes fixed on her brown ones.
She felt her heart soar for the first time since she found out they were engaged. She should be feeling sad for her friend but instead she was elated.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because of you." He whispered, eyes now fixed on his hands.
"I thought I was gonna spend my life with her. But she told me this, 'That's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.* And Harry, I can see the pain you are going through. Both of you. The two of you need each other.' That's what Gin told me." He looked up then.
"I need you... It took me this long, but I finally realized it... I love you." He said, staring at her anxiously.
She smiled.
He always made her smile.
Firewhisky recipe from /blog/2011/06/harry-potter-mixology-butterbeer-fir ewhiskey-pureblood-and-mudblood-concoctions/
* refers to a quote by John Greene
Hope you guys enjoyed this fic :D