Title: Hope Blossomed
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Percy/Hermione, Ron/Hermione, Ron/Lavender
Warnings: Infidelity (mentioned)
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 743
Summary: After finding Ron cheating on her, Hermione finds hope in a dear friend.
Notes:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: History of Magic – Write about finding hope in the most unlikely situation.
Stratego Game Challenge: Prompt Used – Percy/Hermione
Hermione sat at the Three Broomsticks and stared into a bottle of Firewhiskey. She usually didn't like the taste of the stuff, but she hoped it would help lift her mood.
Her mind tumbled over what she witnessed. She had gone over to the flat Ron shared with Harry, knowing Harry was over with Ginny. She had hoped to spend some quality time with her fiancée. Instead, what she found was Ron in a passionate embrace with Lavender of all people.
She knew Ron and Lavender had both seen her but didn't wait to hear their remorseful excuses, if they were even feeling any remorse. She had simply fled as tears blurred her vision. Although she shouldn't have done it in her emotional state she Apparated. Somehow, she ended up at the Three Broomsticks.
Hermione still couldn't believe Ron would do this to her. Their relationship had never been perfect. They fought a lot and Ron had been trying to talk her into being just an ordinary housewife, reminiscent of his own mother. Hermione still never thought he would cheat on her though, not after everything they had been through together during the war. She had thought their bond was unbreakable, but she had obviously been was very, very wrong.
She was still looking at her Firewhiskey when someone else sat down at her table. She looked up and wasn't as surprised as one might think to see it was Percy Weasley.
Although no one understood it, Hermione and Percy developed a friendship after the war. They were very similar in a lot of ways. Both valued rules and their studies. Both sometimes felt like they were social outcasts and both hated flying. What kept them from being friends during their Hogwarts years was their age difference, the fact that Hermione would bend rules if it was for a good cause, Ron's dislike of Percy, and Percy's superiority complex.
After the war and after Percy was accepted back into the family, Percy's superior attitude lessened quite a bit. He knew he was lucky to be a part of such a forgiving family. Also, their age difference no long seemed insurmountable since they were both out of Hogwarts. It helped that Hermione ignored Ron's dislike as she was more confident in herself. They both still had a love of books, so an easy friendship developed between the two of them.
"He cheated on me," Hermione whispered.
"I heard. Ron came and told the family what happened. He thought we would take his side and make you understand it was a harmless mistake and Lavender didn't mean a thing to him."
"He's delusional," she muttered.
"Yes, he is. He's going to realize that he made the biggest mistake of his life when he loss you."
"I tried so hard to make him happy. Why wasn't I good enough for him?"
Percy reached over and brushed a brown curl out of her eyes. "Hermione, listen to me very closely. It's his loss, not yours. He's going to live to regret the day he took you for granted and loss you forever. You're a beautiful, intelligent, compassionate witch. There's no one better than you."
Hermione's breath caught in her throat as her heart hammered. "Do you mean that?"
Percy swallowed and wished he could lean over and claim her lips in a gentle kiss like he has wanted to do for awhile. He knew it wasn't time for that yet, though. "Of course I do. Hermione, I know you're not ready to hear this, but I care for you. I might even love you. I know you don't want a relationship right now, and I don't blame you for that, but just know that I'm going to wait for you. And when you are ready, just say the word and I'll make you mine forever."
Hermione's eyes searched Percy's face, trying to detect whether there was any deceit. She didn't see any and wholeheartedly believed his words.
He was right, though. She wasn't ready. As they held hands, and Hermione took comfort in his touch, Hermione felt hope blossom in her chest for the first time since she caught Ron and Lavender together. Maybe she wasn't ready right now, but one day she would be. And she knew Percy meant it when he said he would wait for her. And when the day came, she would take Percy's heart into her own and never let it go.