Over 300 hits but only 1 review kind of saddens my day. Yet, for those of you who liked it, I must go on! Last chapter will be the only one in first person...it just needed to be for the story to work out. Anyway, here is Chapter 2. If you read this, please take the time to review. Postive or negative, I would love some feedback! Happy reading!
"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley squealed. "I cannot believe you would even think of such a thing! NO!"
Hermione disappeared up the stairs to avoid the breakdown happening in the living room. She wasn't sure what Mrs. Weasley was shouting about, but she was obviously upset.
"But Mum!" Ginny's voice carried up the stairs.
Hermione crept into Ginny's room and shut the door behind her. She went over to her own bed and lay down, the voices downstairs still carrying.
"You are NOT shacking up with that boy, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley continued to shout. "NOT until you are married to that boy. You are not giving me a grandchild right now, you are only 17 years old!"
Hermione had never heard Mrs. Weasley so angry—and Hermione had witnessed her anger multiple times—one of her favorites being the Howler she'd sent Ron in their second year at Hogwarts. Hermione chuckled at the memory. It was six years ago, but it felt like a different lifetime. Back when she'd faced few troubles, she'd only had an innocent schoolgirl crush on Ron, and their lives were simple.
Somewhere during her thoughts, the dispute downstairs ended. Ginny came into the room, face completely red.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
Ginny took a deep breath. "Oh, Harry's just asked me to move in with him," she said.
"That's good, Gin," Hermione said.
Ginny nodded. "It would be, except Mum says I'm not allowed to," she said with a deep sigh, sitting down on her bed.
Hermione nodded apologetically. "I'm sorry, Gin. I'm sure you'll find a way around it though, knowing you."
Ginny smiled deviously. "Well, we'll see," she said. She got up for a second and walked over to her mirror, brushed her hair a few times, and then pranced back over to her bed.
"Ginny," Hermione started seriously. Ginny looked up in response. "I'm really glad you and Harry got together again."
Ginny smiled brightly. "Me too," she said. "I can actually feel whole once again." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked at Hermione once again. "It was easy for Harry and I to get together after the war. Why wasn't it for you and my brother?" she asked curiously.
Hermione's defensive instinct started to kick in. "Well, you know, Percy's not really my—"
"Hermione," Ginny said, interrupting Hermione's feeble attempt at a joke. "I'm serious. You know I'm talking about Ron."
Hermione averted her eyes and looked down. She had told herself she wouldn't tell anyone what she and Ron had done. She had told Ron she wouldn't tell anyone. But, if she couldn't tell her best friend, who could she tell? She was sure Ron had told Harry. She should be able to tell Ginny too. Oh, why did she have to be Ron's sister?
"Hermione?" Ginny asked, curiously.
Oh, Merlin's pants!
"The truth is...," Hermione started out. She took a deep, calming breath. "Ron and I sort of got together…during the war."
"What?" Ginny asked, head cocked to the side and eyebrows raised in confusion.
"During the Final Battle," Hermione attempted, "Ron and I got together," she breathed.
Ginny blinked. "I'm sorry," she said, eyes wide. "What?"
Hermione sighed softly. "I thought I was going to die!" she exclaimed. "I was going to, or he was, and I wasn't going to die not knowing what it was like!" Hermione said, raising the pitch of her voice but lowering the volume, creating a harsh whisper.
"Knowing what what was like?"
"Knowing what making love to Ron would feel like," Hermione said quickly, looking at the floor.
Hermione couldn't look away from the floor. She was too scared to look. Ginny was being too quiet. After a few more moments of silence, Hermione decided she couldn't stare at the floor forever, took a deep breath, and looked up.
Ginny was staring at her, eyes open so widely they nearly bulged out of their sockets, jaw dropped lower than even Ron's jaw got when he was eating.
Hermione became defensive instantly. "I know it was wrong, I know," she said, shaking her head quickly. She paced back and forth as she did, wringing her hands in anxiety.
Ginny slowly returned her face to normal and her expression softened. "It wasn't wrong, Hermione," she assured gently.
"We're not even together!" Hermione explained. "I just lost my virginity to someone I'm not even in a relationship with! Something so important to me, and I just gave it away! Why would I do that?" she exclaimed, in an angry, bitter tone.
Ginny frowned. She could tell Hermione felt awful, and there was no reason for her to. "Because you didn't just 'give it away,' Hermione," Ginny said. "You were with Ron. You love him. You know that that's why you were with him."
Hermione nodded slowly. "I suppose, but why do I feel so awful about it now?"
"Well," Ginny said, "that's because you aren't with Ron now. Which brings me back to my original question… why aren't you?"
Hermione took a deep breath and sighed. "Ronal and I talked about it afterward. We made a mistake. We know that. We kind of just decided to pretend it never happened."
"Pretend it never happened? What a genius idea!" Ginny scoffed, sarcasm dripping in her voice. "Who thought of that one?"
"It was kind of a mutual decision," she mumbled.
"I am going to kill that prat!" Ginny exclaimed, charging towards the door.
"NO!" Hermione shouted, grabbing Ginny's arm. "Please don't, Ginny!"
"Why not?" Ginny huffed, trying to take her arm back.
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," she pleaded.
"What do you mean? 'Forget it happened' and 'don't tell anyone?' That is ridiculous!" Ginny exclaimed angrily.
"Please," Hermione begged, a pathetic plea written in her face. "Please, don't say anything to him."
Ginny sighed deeply. "Okay," she conceded. "I won't say anything to him. But I really want to!"
A small smile came across Hermione's face. "Thank you."
Two weeks later
Life at the Burrow was still quite dull. Ginny was gone most of the time, over to Harry's flat. Ron was busy studying (yes, Hermione was very surprised by this) to be an Auror. Ginny was lucky, Hermione thought. Not only did she get to be with the man she loved, she got to see him, too! Harry had decided to take a break from everything to do with Dark magic—a break he very much deserved. Ron, however, must have felt he owed it to the world after leaving Harry and Hermione, because he jumped right into it. With everyone being gone, that left the only person Hermione had to spend time with was Mrs. Weasley.
Hermione rather enjoyed the time she spent with Mrs. Weasley. She began to feel like she had a mum again—that hers was here, rather than Australia.
They talked about all sorts of things. Most of all, recently, they discussed Ginny and Harry. Mrs. Weasley continually expressed her concern for her youngest daughter's well-being.
"She is too young to live with that boy," Mrs. Weasley said. "She's only eighteen. What if she got pregnant? She is too young to have a child. She's not even married yet!"
"I think Ginny will be fine," Hermione countered. "She's got a good head on her shoulders."
Mrs. Weasley sighed. "I love my daughter dearly," she said, "but when it comes to matters such as these, I do wish she was more like you."
Hermione looked down. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you're too sensible to get caught up in things like that," Mrs. Weasley explained. "Anyways, I have some errands to run. I'll be back soon, dear." Mrs. Weasley walked into the fireplace with some Floo Powder, and disappeared into the green flames.
Hermione's stomach churned uneasily. If only Mrs. Weasley had known the truth about Hermione. She wouldn't feel the same way at all!
The guilt Hermione felt kept churning in her stomach, making her nauseous. She quickly ran to the bathroom, barely making it in time to empty her stomach's contents into the toilet.
Hermione wiped her mouth and stood up. Well, that was disgusting.
She heard a noise downstairs. A voice cried out "Hermione?"
It sounded like Ginny. Hermione walked to the door of the bathroom and looked out. Ginny was coming up the stairs.
"Whoa," Ginny said. "Are you okay?"
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said quietly, a yawn stifling her words.
"No offense, but you look terrible," Ginny said.
"I'm just tired," Hermione said. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you back from Harry's for another few hours."
Ginny tried to hide a sly smile. "Oh, I just have some news," she said mysteriously. "Is Mum here?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, she just left on some errands," she explained.
"Oh, okay," Ginny said slowly. "So…"
"So, what's your news?" Hermione asked, catching on.
Ginny grinned widely, unable to contain herself a moment longer. "Harry's asked me to marry him!" she exclaimed, revealing the left hand Hermione hadn't noticed she'd been concealing.
A large, princess cut diamond cast in a white gold band lay delicately on her left ring finger.
"Oh, it's beautiful," Hermione said with a happy sigh. "Oh, Ginny! I am so happy for you!" she exclaimed, enveloping her friend in a suffocating hug.
"Thank you," Ginny said happily. "So will you be my maid of honor?"
"Really?" Hermione asked. Ginny nodded. "Of course I will! I'd be honored to," she said with a smile.
"Oh, thank you," Ginny said, hugging her friend.
"You're welcome," she said, stifling a yawn.
"You sure you're okay, 'Mione? You don't look well," Ginny said, eyebrows raised with concern.
Hermione nodded. "I'm fine. Just tired," she said with a yawn.
"You need to go take a nap," Ginny said.
"I suppose you're right. I will do that," she said. "Congratulations, again," she said with a smile.
Hermione awoke with a start to the shouts of Mrs. Weasley. Hermione jumped from her bed and ran downstairs.
"You are PREGNANT!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.
Hermione was startled. She looked over and saw Ginny looking frustrated and Harry looking frightened.
"No, Mum," Ginny said exasperatedly, "I am not pregnant."
"You're not pregnant?" she asked.
Ginny shook her head.
"You're just getting married—just because?"
"Because we love each other," Ginny said, grasping Harry's hand and smiling at him.
Mrs. Weasley just looked at her and started bawling.
"Oh, my baby!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ginny and squeezing her. "My baby, getting married!" She let go of Ginny and turned her attention to Harry. "Harry!" she exclaimed, putting him into an equally suffocating hug. "Oh, I am so happy for you two," she said.
Hermione took this opportunity to creep upstairs. She was almost back to Ginny's room when she met Ron.
"What's going on down there?" he asked, looking disoriented. "Who's pregnant?"
Hermione laughed. "No one is pregnant, Ron," she shook her head. "Your mum just thought Ginny was when she announced she and Harry are engaged."
"Oh," Ron said. "Right. I can't believe they're getting married!" he exclaimed.
"Why is that?" Hermione asked him.
"She's my baby sister," he explained. "I always thought I'd be getting married first."
Hermione smiled softly. "You need to find a woman first, Ron."
He nodded solemnly. "Right." After a moment of silence, he said, "well, I must be off. Night, 'Mione," he said, turning away from her.
"Goodnight, Ron," she said softly, watching him climb the stairs all the way to his room.
She turned into Ginny's room, lay on her own bed, and sighed. She only wished she could be the woman Ron married. With circumstances the way they were, though, she was almost certain it could never happen.
She turned over in her bed, closed her eyes, and slept.
Hermione opened her eyes and was standing in front of Ron.
"No one is pregnant, Ron," she laughed.
She watched as Ron's small smile melted. His face turned a horrid, rotten color and melted away as well, until before her stood a dark, evil creature.
Hermione heard her own voice echo in her head. No one is pregnant, Ron.
"No one is pregnant," the creature repeated in a high-pitched screech. "Are you sure?"
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know," she said. "I'm sure Ginny would have told me, though," she said calmly.
The creature cackled. "Such a silly girl you are."
"What do you mean?" she asked. When it didn't respond, she repeated herself. "What do you mean?" she asked desperately.
"You will see, child. You will see." The creature trailed off as it melted away.
Hermione awoke with a start and was surprised to see the sun shining. It was already morning.
Hermione suddenly remembered her dream. The sight of Ron's face melting into the creature made her instantly nauseous.
She ran to the bathroom. With her head situated right above the toilet, her gag reflex kicked in, throwing nothing but bile into the toilet bowl.
"Again?" Hermione breathed. She wiped her mouth, and once again her dream came back to haunt her.
No one is pregnant, Ron, she had said, to which the creature replied Are you sure?
Hermione's mouth fell open in surprise and she nearly vomited again in the shock of the thought.
There's no way, she thought. There is no way I am pregnant.