Sweet Sorrow Isn't Gone Tomorrow……
Chapter 2
DISCLAIMER: Ah, you know the routine…….I do not own anything here, because all of these characters belong to the people who created them!!!! All of this material is not mine, and I do not own it. (Well, except for the characters I created. I do own those.) Thank you!
A/N: This is your last warning! This is a SAD AND ROMANTIC fic, so don't flame me!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!! & also, though Diana is a more-or- less minor character, she may come across as a bit of a Mary-Sure, but she isn't meant to be, so……….
Harry slept without dreams for a few hours after that. He was more tired than he knew, more tired than he wanted to be. But, when he awoke, nothing had changed. The grim reality was still there: that Hermione and Ron were getting married.
As he thought about it straight out, he almost laughed. It really was supposed to be happy. He best friends, who had always been in love, were being united. It was a good thing, right? But then, why did it hurt so much still?
His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the door creaking open. Diana peeked in.
"Harry? Oh, good, you're awake. How are you feeling, hon?" she asked with a caring smile.
"Oh….I'm…..better, I suppose. What have you been doing?" he replied.
"Well, actually, I………….." Diana perked up and began telling Harry about her day. As much as he normally would have loved to listen, he couldn't. Not now. Instead, he began to zone out. Sighing, he knew that the next month would be one of the most painful in his life. The years following that would be even worse.
The day of the wedding came up sooner than it should have. Harry had tried to get together with Ron and Hermione one last time, before they were….well, officially official. But, of course, they were much too busy with plans and such. Besides, Harry knew that just seeing Hermione with Ron would be heartrending. The sweet sorrow had come back stronger than ever since the invitation, and it wasn't going away. Not even with Diana there.
It came, finally. Harry did his best to put a smile on for image's sake. As he and Diana walked into the church, he thought, 'This is it. It's….over. Now.'
"Oh, Harry, I'm gonna give the gift to Hermione, and I wanna say hi. Do you want to come with me? Or wait, do you want to see Ron first?" Diana questioned cheerfully.
"Um, I think I'll see Ron first, then have a word with Hermione," Harry said slowly.
"Okay then. I'll save you a seat in front!" she said, and headed for the bride room.
In the meantime, Harry went to where Ron was getting ready. He made himself seem as happy as possible. He couldn't let Ron see him unhappy; it wasn't right. This was Ron's most special day, it was his turn to shine.
After knocking softly, Harry heard Ron reply, "Come in!"
"Hey Ron," he said, stepping through the doorway.
"Harry! So good to see you! Oh, it's great that you're finally here! 'Mione'll be so pleased!" Ron exclaimed, grinning at Harry.
"Yes, well…..congratulations! I'm really happy for you. You two….make a great couple," Harry said, forcing the words out through a fake smile.
"Thanks! So, how are things with you and Diana? Getting serious, apparently. I mean, you are living together and all!" Ron said.
"Oh, yes. Well, I was thinking about proposing to her. Maybe after the euphoria of your wedding dies down. You know, when things are quiet and need a little life," Harry replied.
"Good idea. Well, anyways-" Ron was cut off abruptly by Mr. Weasley coming in.
"Oh, Harry! So great to see you! But, can we talk later? I need to speak to Ron alone for a minute. But sit with me and Molly during the ceremony, okay?" he said excitedly.
"Er….okay. Bye Ron, good luck!" Harry answered as cheerfully as possible. Then, he quietly left the room. It was time to speak to Hermione.
On his way down, he ran into Diana. "Oh, Harry! Good, I'm glad I caught up with you. Hermione's waiting for you, right around the corner. I'll meet you in the second row, left side, alright?" she said.
"Sure, Di, thanks," he smiled at her and continued down the stairs.
Sure enough, Hermione was standing there, right around the corner. She was dressed in a beautiful wedding gown made of vintage antique lace and satin. Her hair was left bushy, but covered by a delicate veil. The sight of her took Harry's breath away. Oh, how he wished it was him that she would be promised to! The pain gave him a sharp jab, and it took all the control he had to not scream at her to marry him, rather than Ron.
"Hi, Harry," she said softly.
"All right, 'Mione?" he said, just as softly.
"I suppose so. Today is….such a big step. I can't believe I'm doing this. I mean, I'm happy to, because, I really do like Ron. I mean, I love him. A lot. But, Harry……" she trailed off.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I….I really need to talk to you," she whispered.
"Okay," he whispered back and stepped closer.
Hermione sighed. "Harry, I know this will come as a bit of a shock to you. I mean, it's practically a shock to me! It's just…..I……well, first of all, I know….you won't feel the same. And that's perfectly okay, I don't expect you to. I just know that it wouldn't be right if I didn't tell you this. I should have told you before, like 7 years before, but….." she took a deep breath before continuing. "I love you, Harry. I really, really, love YOU. Not Ron. That's how I've always felt, I think. I mean, at first I really did think I loved Ron, and I do, just…not the way I love you. But, I guess I never told you because I thought you didn't love me, and, well, Ron needed me. So, I'm really sorry to be telling you this, but I had to, before……" she stopped at the look in his eyes.
"How could you think…….? Hermione, I……." Harry was at a loss for words. Here it was, what he had always wanted. Hermione's love. But he couldn't do it, he couldn't accept it. It would torture him for the rest of his life, but he couldn't let her be with him. It just wasn't fair to Ron.
"Hermione, I….love you too," he said. "I always have, as long as I could remember. I just thought that you and Ron were…together, and it wasn't my place to take you from Ron. Oh god, 'Mione, why didn't you say something before? I….oh god. 'Mione, I've loved you so much, I've been in so much pain……you have no idea how much I wish we could be together, but….."he couldn't finish his sentence. Tears came to his eyes, and it took several hard blinks to hold them back. His throat was choked by emotions, and no more words could come out.
"I know. It isn't fair to Ron," Hermione said quietly, speaking the very words Harry had been thinking. She heaved a huge sigh, and Harry saw tears in her eyes. "I wish we could be together too. Trust me, I DO know what it feels like. I've had to live with this….sweet sorrow forever. But, there really isn't anything to do. I guess we'll just have to….get over it."
"If that's possible," Harry said bitterly.
"It has to be. For Ron's sake. I love you so much, it'll be hard for me too, but, we must try. We must succeed," Hermione said firmly. She looked so strong, so brave, Harry leaned towards her in spite of her words.
"Harry, don't. Just…just go. It's for the best," she said stepping back.
"Okay," Harry whispered, feeling as if his heart was being ripped into shreds, then each shred was being tossed into a black fire. He forced himself away, and wiped away his tears. He didn't look back at Hermione.
Harry slowly made his way to where he was supposed to meet Diana. His mind was a blurr of nothing and everything, all at once. Hermione…loved him? As he loved her? But…..now everything was so much worse. Or better? He didn't know. Was it good that Hermione loved him, that the feeling was mutual? Or bad, because now he was sure that Ron was between them?
Harry pondered this all through the service. He didn't even pay attention. He couldn't bear to watch it, anyways. Once it was over, and everyone was leaving for the reception, Harry hurried away before anyone could talk to him. It was getting to be too much.
He went to a quiet corner of the room, one that was half-hidden by a large shelf. Shaking his head, Harry again tried to comprehend was had happened, and what was still happening. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sniffles, coming from the other hidden side of the shelf.
"Who…who's there?" said a voice. Harry recognized it from his school years; it was none other than Neville Longbottom.
"Neville?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Harry? Is that you?" he said, just as surprised.
"Yes….but…what are you doing here?" Harry said.
"I was invited to the wedding."
"Oh. Are you okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah. I guess so."
"Are you sure? Why were you crying?" At this, Neville came out. Harry saw him for the first time since 7th year. He looked more or less the same, only much more mature. Like Harry, he hadn't really changed all that much.
"I thought you would know," Neville said. "I mean, I thought everyone knew. That I had a thing for Hermione, that is. I mean, she was the only girl who was ever really nice to me. I really liked her."
'So I'm not the only one,' Harry thought to himself. 'I'm not the only one who loves her.'
Neville sighed. "I know it's stupid of me to have ever hoped that she could love me back. But, then again, a lot of things I do are stupid. I just really love Hermione, and it really hurt to see her marry someone."
"I know what you mean," Harry said very quietly.
"What's that?" Neville said.
"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself," Harry said, again forcing another grin.
"Oh. Well, I suppose I should go back to the group. There's not much else to do…." Neville muttered, half to Harry, half to himself.
'What a heartbreaker, that Hermione' Harry thought sadly. He walked over to the side of the shelf that Neville had been hiding behind and saw something carved in it.
"Lumos," he said after pulling out his wand, and held it up to read the words. This is what he read:
I, Tom Riddle, from this day forth, am Lord Voldemort. I am no longer the good little wizard I started out as. I mean, I always wanted to become what I am now, because of my hatred for my father. But now I really am because of another muggle-born, by the name of Kathleen Potter. She was the love of my life, my only reason for staying good. But today she married my best friend, Frank Potter, and because of that, I no longer have any reason to do so. So, from this day forth, I, Lord Voldemort, am going to be the most evil Dark Lord ever. And my favorite task will be eliminating those in the Potter family, and all that join it. This sweet sorrow WILL be gone tomorrow, for tomorrow I shall begin my work against the world. Good-bye, innocence.
Harry gasped. Then, a new idea dawned on him. He thought about this new idea for a very long time afterwards.
K, well, now that you've read it, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! Was it good? Bad? AWFUL? I do take flames, just please, don't be TOO harsh, I already know it's nothing great, and that it is in fact rather stupid and pathetic. But that thing w/ Voldemort was unexpected, yes? At any rate, just REVIEW PLEASE!!! And if you can, read my other stories!!!!!!! Thanx a ton!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tora
Chapter 2
DISCLAIMER: Ah, you know the routine…….I do not own anything here, because all of these characters belong to the people who created them!!!! All of this material is not mine, and I do not own it. (Well, except for the characters I created. I do own those.) Thank you!
A/N: This is your last warning! This is a SAD AND ROMANTIC fic, so don't flame me!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!! & also, though Diana is a more-or- less minor character, she may come across as a bit of a Mary-Sure, but she isn't meant to be, so……….
Harry slept without dreams for a few hours after that. He was more tired than he knew, more tired than he wanted to be. But, when he awoke, nothing had changed. The grim reality was still there: that Hermione and Ron were getting married.
As he thought about it straight out, he almost laughed. It really was supposed to be happy. He best friends, who had always been in love, were being united. It was a good thing, right? But then, why did it hurt so much still?
His thoughts were interrupted at the sound of the door creaking open. Diana peeked in.
"Harry? Oh, good, you're awake. How are you feeling, hon?" she asked with a caring smile.
"Oh….I'm…..better, I suppose. What have you been doing?" he replied.
"Well, actually, I………….." Diana perked up and began telling Harry about her day. As much as he normally would have loved to listen, he couldn't. Not now. Instead, he began to zone out. Sighing, he knew that the next month would be one of the most painful in his life. The years following that would be even worse.
The day of the wedding came up sooner than it should have. Harry had tried to get together with Ron and Hermione one last time, before they were….well, officially official. But, of course, they were much too busy with plans and such. Besides, Harry knew that just seeing Hermione with Ron would be heartrending. The sweet sorrow had come back stronger than ever since the invitation, and it wasn't going away. Not even with Diana there.
It came, finally. Harry did his best to put a smile on for image's sake. As he and Diana walked into the church, he thought, 'This is it. It's….over. Now.'
"Oh, Harry, I'm gonna give the gift to Hermione, and I wanna say hi. Do you want to come with me? Or wait, do you want to see Ron first?" Diana questioned cheerfully.
"Um, I think I'll see Ron first, then have a word with Hermione," Harry said slowly.
"Okay then. I'll save you a seat in front!" she said, and headed for the bride room.
In the meantime, Harry went to where Ron was getting ready. He made himself seem as happy as possible. He couldn't let Ron see him unhappy; it wasn't right. This was Ron's most special day, it was his turn to shine.
After knocking softly, Harry heard Ron reply, "Come in!"
"Hey Ron," he said, stepping through the doorway.
"Harry! So good to see you! Oh, it's great that you're finally here! 'Mione'll be so pleased!" Ron exclaimed, grinning at Harry.
"Yes, well…..congratulations! I'm really happy for you. You two….make a great couple," Harry said, forcing the words out through a fake smile.
"Thanks! So, how are things with you and Diana? Getting serious, apparently. I mean, you are living together and all!" Ron said.
"Oh, yes. Well, I was thinking about proposing to her. Maybe after the euphoria of your wedding dies down. You know, when things are quiet and need a little life," Harry replied.
"Good idea. Well, anyways-" Ron was cut off abruptly by Mr. Weasley coming in.
"Oh, Harry! So great to see you! But, can we talk later? I need to speak to Ron alone for a minute. But sit with me and Molly during the ceremony, okay?" he said excitedly.
"Er….okay. Bye Ron, good luck!" Harry answered as cheerfully as possible. Then, he quietly left the room. It was time to speak to Hermione.
On his way down, he ran into Diana. "Oh, Harry! Good, I'm glad I caught up with you. Hermione's waiting for you, right around the corner. I'll meet you in the second row, left side, alright?" she said.
"Sure, Di, thanks," he smiled at her and continued down the stairs.
Sure enough, Hermione was standing there, right around the corner. She was dressed in a beautiful wedding gown made of vintage antique lace and satin. Her hair was left bushy, but covered by a delicate veil. The sight of her took Harry's breath away. Oh, how he wished it was him that she would be promised to! The pain gave him a sharp jab, and it took all the control he had to not scream at her to marry him, rather than Ron.
"Hi, Harry," she said softly.
"All right, 'Mione?" he said, just as softly.
"I suppose so. Today is….such a big step. I can't believe I'm doing this. I mean, I'm happy to, because, I really do like Ron. I mean, I love him. A lot. But, Harry……" she trailed off.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I….I really need to talk to you," she whispered.
"Okay," he whispered back and stepped closer.
Hermione sighed. "Harry, I know this will come as a bit of a shock to you. I mean, it's practically a shock to me! It's just…..I……well, first of all, I know….you won't feel the same. And that's perfectly okay, I don't expect you to. I just know that it wouldn't be right if I didn't tell you this. I should have told you before, like 7 years before, but….." she took a deep breath before continuing. "I love you, Harry. I really, really, love YOU. Not Ron. That's how I've always felt, I think. I mean, at first I really did think I loved Ron, and I do, just…not the way I love you. But, I guess I never told you because I thought you didn't love me, and, well, Ron needed me. So, I'm really sorry to be telling you this, but I had to, before……" she stopped at the look in his eyes.
"How could you think…….? Hermione, I……." Harry was at a loss for words. Here it was, what he had always wanted. Hermione's love. But he couldn't do it, he couldn't accept it. It would torture him for the rest of his life, but he couldn't let her be with him. It just wasn't fair to Ron.
"Hermione, I….love you too," he said. "I always have, as long as I could remember. I just thought that you and Ron were…together, and it wasn't my place to take you from Ron. Oh god, 'Mione, why didn't you say something before? I….oh god. 'Mione, I've loved you so much, I've been in so much pain……you have no idea how much I wish we could be together, but….."he couldn't finish his sentence. Tears came to his eyes, and it took several hard blinks to hold them back. His throat was choked by emotions, and no more words could come out.
"I know. It isn't fair to Ron," Hermione said quietly, speaking the very words Harry had been thinking. She heaved a huge sigh, and Harry saw tears in her eyes. "I wish we could be together too. Trust me, I DO know what it feels like. I've had to live with this….sweet sorrow forever. But, there really isn't anything to do. I guess we'll just have to….get over it."
"If that's possible," Harry said bitterly.
"It has to be. For Ron's sake. I love you so much, it'll be hard for me too, but, we must try. We must succeed," Hermione said firmly. She looked so strong, so brave, Harry leaned towards her in spite of her words.
"Harry, don't. Just…just go. It's for the best," she said stepping back.
"Okay," Harry whispered, feeling as if his heart was being ripped into shreds, then each shred was being tossed into a black fire. He forced himself away, and wiped away his tears. He didn't look back at Hermione.
Harry slowly made his way to where he was supposed to meet Diana. His mind was a blurr of nothing and everything, all at once. Hermione…loved him? As he loved her? But…..now everything was so much worse. Or better? He didn't know. Was it good that Hermione loved him, that the feeling was mutual? Or bad, because now he was sure that Ron was between them?
Harry pondered this all through the service. He didn't even pay attention. He couldn't bear to watch it, anyways. Once it was over, and everyone was leaving for the reception, Harry hurried away before anyone could talk to him. It was getting to be too much.
He went to a quiet corner of the room, one that was half-hidden by a large shelf. Shaking his head, Harry again tried to comprehend was had happened, and what was still happening. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of sniffles, coming from the other hidden side of the shelf.
"Who…who's there?" said a voice. Harry recognized it from his school years; it was none other than Neville Longbottom.
"Neville?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Harry? Is that you?" he said, just as surprised.
"Yes….but…what are you doing here?" Harry said.
"I was invited to the wedding."
"Oh. Are you okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah. I guess so."
"Are you sure? Why were you crying?" At this, Neville came out. Harry saw him for the first time since 7th year. He looked more or less the same, only much more mature. Like Harry, he hadn't really changed all that much.
"I thought you would know," Neville said. "I mean, I thought everyone knew. That I had a thing for Hermione, that is. I mean, she was the only girl who was ever really nice to me. I really liked her."
'So I'm not the only one,' Harry thought to himself. 'I'm not the only one who loves her.'
Neville sighed. "I know it's stupid of me to have ever hoped that she could love me back. But, then again, a lot of things I do are stupid. I just really love Hermione, and it really hurt to see her marry someone."
"I know what you mean," Harry said very quietly.
"What's that?" Neville said.
"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself," Harry said, again forcing another grin.
"Oh. Well, I suppose I should go back to the group. There's not much else to do…." Neville muttered, half to Harry, half to himself.
'What a heartbreaker, that Hermione' Harry thought sadly. He walked over to the side of the shelf that Neville had been hiding behind and saw something carved in it.
"Lumos," he said after pulling out his wand, and held it up to read the words. This is what he read:
I, Tom Riddle, from this day forth, am Lord Voldemort. I am no longer the good little wizard I started out as. I mean, I always wanted to become what I am now, because of my hatred for my father. But now I really am because of another muggle-born, by the name of Kathleen Potter. She was the love of my life, my only reason for staying good. But today she married my best friend, Frank Potter, and because of that, I no longer have any reason to do so. So, from this day forth, I, Lord Voldemort, am going to be the most evil Dark Lord ever. And my favorite task will be eliminating those in the Potter family, and all that join it. This sweet sorrow WILL be gone tomorrow, for tomorrow I shall begin my work against the world. Good-bye, innocence.
Harry gasped. Then, a new idea dawned on him. He thought about this new idea for a very long time afterwards.
K, well, now that you've read it, PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! Was it good? Bad? AWFUL? I do take flames, just please, don't be TOO harsh, I already know it's nothing great, and that it is in fact rather stupid and pathetic. But that thing w/ Voldemort was unexpected, yes? At any rate, just REVIEW PLEASE!!! And if you can, read my other stories!!!!!!! Thanx a ton!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tora