A/N: So I could have tagged Lavender in this however as prominent as she is in this chapter I don't have many plans for her in the ones to come, it's going to get a lot more Ron/Hermione based in the future. I do have right now a pretty solid idea at where this going but that could change. Also I haven't really written at all in the last three years since I wrote a fic but I have been actively reading a lot of them! Please let me know if you notice any grammatical errors and I'll try to rectify them as soon as possible, also might come back to edit this before I even publish a second chapter! (Also might be a wait on other chapters as I'm snowed under with work at university and this is me procrastinating it all)
This idea came to me after reading a lot of Giovanna Fletchers books, specifically Dream A Little Dream and You're The One That I Want I noticed quite a few similarities between some of the characters in her books and JK's characters in hers.
As always all characters and wizarding lingo belongs to JK!
'…married!' the petite blonde exclaimed with an infectious joy that spread around the group instantaneously.
Married.
'Okay, I can do this.' She thought, eyes frozen in shock staring into the abyss of the blonde woman's mouth. 'Get up, start congratulating and definitely remember to smile.' Hermione planted a Cheshire Cat smile on her face and to her best ability covered any evidence that she was most definitely forcing the smile onto her face. She rose to her feet and enveloped the young blonde woman in a tight embrace.
'Unbelievable! Congratulations Lavender! And Ron...' she petered off, her smile slightly faltering and brow creasing – not so much that anyone but the young ginger girl watching her intently would otherwise notice. Hermione's eyes refused to meet Ginny's for surely Hermione believed if they did she wouldn't be able to keep up her façade much longer.
After the war it was agreed amongst the survivors of Dumbledore's Army that they would meet almost every month for regular catch ups and a few drinks, it wasn't uncommon that one of the many couples would have reached a new milestone to celebrate each month. Last month it had been the announcement of Ginny and Harry's expectancy, which left Ginny cradling a pumpkin juice she was none too fond of drinking this month. Of course the news this month was to Hermione's dismay the announcement of Lavender and Ron's engagement, which as Hermione was now deciphering from giddy talk of Lavender, happened over their Easter break in Germany.
However, although Lavender called their trip to Germany a break, Hermione knew it was anything but. Both Harry and Ron were on assignment there from the ministry, some Dark Wizards had been going rogue and coming out of hiding, ultimately causing trouble for many German muggles. Hermione knew this because for the duration of the month Harry was away all Ginny could do was fret, the new hormones in her body taking control of the usual poised young woman. Unlike Lavender, although Ginny loved Harry unconditionally, she did not feel the need to follow him to Germany whilst he worked. Ginny saw little point in sitting about a hotel for the duration of the assignment when she could be doing something more valuable at home, like decorating the room of her expectant child – ready for when they arrived at the end of the year. Hermione could only wonder at what point Ron would possibly have had time to propose to Lavender - on which she was sure would have been tiring mission. It was highly possible that Lavender was answering that question at that very moment but Hermione only feigned that she was listening.
'… absolutely beautiful, the sun was just rising. I was crying, Ron was a mess – covered in dirt and blood. I really thought the worse and then he dropped to his knees, I thought he was injured but he just looked up at me and said "Marry me." I cried even more got down to him and kissed him so hard. There's no ring yet, it was very spontaneous, but he promises by the end of month I'll have the perfect ring for me.'
Tonight only the girls had shown up to this particular meeting. Lavender had orchestrated it all, she told them it was going to be a girly night and really Hermione should have seen it coming, it was the same procedure when Parvati had gotten engaged to Dean the previous year. How didn't she see it coming, she thought.
Hermione's understanding on how the couple came to be again was sketchy, but she was sure alcohol had taken a strong part in the decision from what she had heard. Different from the last time Lavender and Ron began a romance, Hermione could no longer feel the same bitterness towards Lavender as she did when she was sixteen. She had seen a different side to Lavender since then, as she had done every day since the war had finished.
No longer was this woman a ditzy, vapid girl that once wrapped her mouth around the face of Ronald Weasley like she'd had no dinner – the war had changed Lavender, like it had changed all those who fought on that day. The woman that stood before Hermione gushing out the tale of her engagement was more insightful, homely and generous to others than Hermione ever believed Lavender could be. Lavender spent her time after the war helping to rebuild the lives of others that had crumbled around them, she wasn't exactly a healer although people claimed she had helped to heal the emotional scars left on their hearts after the war. Hermione saw her as a wizarding therapist, although there was no official term for these people who discovered their role in life after the war, they were most commonly called Guardians, an idea stemming from the belief that these wizards and witches were as such to the people who needed them guardian angels.
It was not only this however that stopped Hermione from resenting Ron and Lavenders relationship. After Hermione had saved her life, Lavender felt indebted to her and they reached a silent agreement said only with their eyes and a sad smile that a truce had been called between the two women – a friendship of sorts.
It was not without injury however that Lavender survived and her scars crept down from her cheek all the way to her chest with the majority of the scarring taking shape on her neck from which her throat was nearly ripped out, but the scars did nothing to diminish her beauty. They added a new essence of character to her lively heart-shaped face, she embraced them effortlessly, almost as though they didn't exist. Hermione knew this hadn't always been the case and immediately after the war Lavender fell into a great depression, the depression that boosted her into the world of helping others. This was where Hermione faltered, where her resentment began to grow. Here was a girl who relied heavily on her looks, mauled and almost killed by a werewolf and rather than crumbling in her pit of despair she began to realise that maybe her beauty wasn't everything and began to rely on other qualities she wasn't aware she had. In the end the woman shone more beautiful than ever, and Hermione resented that. She resented that she couldn't find a fault with this woman. That she was perfect in every way. Hermione resented that she could see exactly why Ron had fallen so easily for the woman sat in front of her.
A lot had changed since their sixth year, Hermione concluded
All criticism welcome my lovelies (English student so please be harsh!) Please let me know whether you would even like a second chapter!