Remember Me
Chapter 2
"So Ron told you everything?" Ginny asked as she sipped her wine gingerly.
"Yes," Harry said, thinking, "And I'm positive he wasn't lying. If you would have seen the look on his face as he was talking, Ginny, it was just…"
"Look, I'm not doubting his word, or yours, but I just find it hard to believe that he doesn't know why he kissed her," She said, sliding over the couch to sit on Harry's lap. "I mean, come on, everyone has a reason."
"I guess," Harry said, stroking her back with his fingertips, "But what reason could he possibly have? He was so happy with Hermione."
"Lavender probably turned into a total babe," Ginny said in a matter-of-factly tone. Harry snorted into his wine.
"Do you really consider your brother to be that pigheaded?" Harry asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"I wouldn't put it past him. Guys are all like that, even if they don't mean to be."
"Excuse me?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you don't do it often, but once in a blue moon I catch you staring at some woman with bigger…"
"I do not!" Harry said, cutting her off, as he set his wine down on the coffee table.
"I'm not mad at you, it's in your nature. Dad does it every so often too, you know. I happen to know that you don't mean anything by it, however, and I choose not to get mad because I've only seen you do it twice in two years. And statistics say that that number will reduce even more after you marry me."
"Oh, I feel so relieved that Ginny's not mad at me! My world goes on!" Harry laughed sarcastically. Ginny smiled, and hit his arm playfully.
"You can just be glad that you're marrying someone who will be completely loyal to you," Ginny said, taking another sip of wine. Harry shook his head and smiled.
"What, you don't think I'm faithful?" Ginny asked, gazing at him intently.
"Well, you don't do it often," Harry started, copying her, "But once in a blue moon I catch you staring at some guy's six pack, which is only visible because he wears skin tight shirts."
"Harry, don't be jealous, just because you don't have one…" Ginny laughed.
"Oh, that's it!" Harry said, grabbing her wine and setting it down next to his. Ginny jumped off his lap, but not quick enough. He grabbed her around the waist and laid her on the couch, tickling her all over, causing her to erupt into a fit of giggles.
"Harry H-Harry, stop!" She said between giggles. After about a minute, they were both laughing as he continued incessantly. "Okay, okay Harry! I-I give!"
"What? Sorry, I can't hear you through all the laughing?"
"Uncle!" Ginny squealed. Harry stopped, a wide grin across his face. Ginny sat up and smoothed the creases in her shirt, laying a hand over her stomach. They remained silent for a moment as Harry took a sip of wine.
"So you still think that I'm a pigheaded guy?"
"Yes," Ginny paused, smiling at him lovingly, "But you do have a nice five and a half pack."
"A what?"
"A five and a half pack," Ginny said, "It's not quite a six pack, since it's a little too indistinguishable, and so I call it a five and a half pack."
"That's innovative," Harry said, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close against him. She laid her head on his shoulder and looked up at him, love filling her eyes. He looked down at her and their eyes met, both warming each other through to their hearts. Harry put his head down and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. She shuffled herself over a bit to face him and leant in to trap his lips with hers, and he didn't resist. They sat there for a moment, just kissing each other lovingly.
When they broke away Harry shook his head, "How did I get so lucky as to marry someone as wonderful as you?"
"Don't get corny," Ginny laughed, but she could feel her cheeks going red as she spoke.
"It's true," Harry said, pulling her hands into his as he laid a kiss on first the right, and then the left.
"In that case," Ginny said quietly, "Maybe I'm the lucky one."
Harry's heart soared as he looked at her, disbelief still in his heart. He had known that he was hooked on her, ever since his sixth year, and he knew he would be for the rest of his life. Still, he couldn't believe that she had said yes when he'd asked her to marry him. He was the luckiest man alive.
"You know," Ginny said softly, as she entwined her fingers with his, "Today, Hermione said to me that I was lucky that you love me as much as you do. She said that what we have together was real, true, and rare, and that it was something to believe in." She paused, but Harry just looked at her intently, not saying a word. "And, I really do believe in it. I know she's right."
"You have a knack for saying the right things at the exact right time. You phrase things together so nicely," Harry said, a smile on his face.
"She also said that she and Ron didn't have that. She said that they went wrong somewhere," Ginny said sadly, "Do you believe that?
Harry paused, thinking for a second, "No, I don't. I think that Hermione and Ron are just unsure of where they stand with each other right now. I think that they're both afraid of what comes next for them, and they don't want to ruin their friendship. The part that they haven't figured out yet, though, is that by breaking up they are ruining everything that they have worked so hard to make. I think that Ron kissing Lavender was a test for their relationship, and a way to show them that they really belong together. Now that this has happened, Ron has realized that he needs to be with Hermione, and he has no problem admitting that now. Hermione however probably is scared of their relationship, and she's not sure what to do about the kiss. In my opinion, they have just as much of a true relationship as we do, but they just have to realize that."
"You know, despite how hard that was to follow, I agree with everything that you just said," Ginny said confidently, "But do we help them find that out?"
"We have to try," Harry said, "But in the end it'll be up to them."
"It won't be easy," Ginny said, shaking her head.
"No, but hopefully the reward will be worth it."
"Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, Matchmakers," Ginny laughed, saying the title with emphasis. Harry laughed and kissed her on the forehead again.
"Not quite matchmakers," Harry said, "But we'll keep that title a secret."
"Life with you is never boring, is it?" Ginny asked.
"Nope, and hopefully it never will be," Harry laughed.
Hermione lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling, her head full of thoughts, and her mind restless. She turned over to her side for what seemed like the hundredth time. Glancing at her clock she realized that it was already eleven o'clock, and that she'd been laying there for a good hour and a half. Sure, nine thirty was a rather early time for an adult to go to bed, but she had to work the next day at St. Mungo's, and that was a strenuous job. Or at least that was her story if anyone asked.
The truth was, she'd tried to find something else to do, but she had already cleaned the kitchen twice, eaten dinner, done paperwork, written a couple letters to her family, and practiced some of her healing spells. All this she had done to keep her mind off of Ron, and off of the fact that she was alone and lonely.
Getting fed up with her own lack of mind control she swung her feet off of the bed and onto the cold hardwood floor. She stood up and turned on the light, which made her squint from the sudden brightness. She walked over to her walk-in closet and opened the door, thinking that she might as well set out her work outfit for the next day, to let herself sleep longer in the morning. If it wasn't working now, maybe it would in the morning.
Grabbing her healer's uniform shirt, a pair of black dress pants, and a pair of white kitten heels, she turned around and started to head back out of the closet. Her arm, however, brushed up against a box on a shelf and knocked it down, sending its contents flying across the floor. Sighing, she set the clothes down on top of a box and knelt down to pick up the mess.
It only took one look down at the items to have her heart jump into her throat, choking her. She sat on the floor and reached a shaking hand to a picture right in front of her. She picked it up and slowly brought it up again to look at it.
Ron had his arm around her shoulders and they were standing on the Hogwarts school grounds, with the castle up on the hill behind them. Snow was falling gently around them, but they were still very warm. Ron every so often bent his head down to his her cheek, as she smiled and waved at the camera.
Curse the magical moving photographs! Her mind screamed as a single tear fell from her eye and landed right where Ron's head was on the photo. She remembered this photo very well, from their last Christmas at Hogwarts, during their seventh year. Ginny had taken that picture, while Harry was away trying to find the last horcrux. Sure, they had all been worried about him, but of course they were happy. It was after all Christmas.
She placed the photo back in the box and reached out to grab a teddy bear that was holding a little heart across its front, which read 'I love you so berry much'. She smiled and put it back in the box. Just my luck, the box of things that have to do with Ron and me! She thought as she held another photo of them at the Halloween ball during seventh year. She laughed when she looked at Ron's dress robes, which of course had been picked by Mrs. Weasley, in the most putrid shade of maroon possible.
Hermione continued to pick up the treasures that were so near and dear to her heart, as she let the tears roll down her cheeks. This was her time now, and no one could see her cry. She did it at her own pace, letting the memories, as painful as they were, to fill her mind with each items.
After a good hour, she had a pile of used Kleenex beside her, as well as a box of fresh ones, and two items left in front of her. She reached out and grabbed one and laughed when she realized what it was. Probably the only poem Ron had ever wrote, not a good one either, she held in her hands. A Kleenex in her hand, she started to read.
You're everything to me,
Why can't you see?
That when I am mad,
It's only because I'm so glad,
That you are with me,
You're everything to me.
You're everything to me,
And trust me, it's not easy,
To say these things to you,
Only because they are so true,
Your beauty astounds me,
You're everything to me.
You're everything to me,
A place in my heart is where you'll be,
As graceful as a peaceful dove,
You are my one true love,
Never will I ever leave,
You're everything to me.
Hermione dabbed her eyes with the Kleenex and placed the poem in the box. Apparently never had taken on a different meaning these days. She reached out to grab the last photograph, and her heart stopped beating for a second when she saw it.
Their graduation picture, with them in the Gryffindor Common Room was placed between two of her fingers. In the picture there was Ron with one hand in hers, and they smiled at each other with love. He was wearing an actual tuxedo, not unlike muggle ones, and he looked amazing. She was wearing a rose-colored floor length dress that sparkled in the light. Her hair was swept up in a bun with a few curly strands hanging down.
This was not what made Hermione burst into tears however. Both of them had a hand on a crystal vase, which sparkled in the firelight. Hermione placed the photograph into the box and stood up, tears running down her face. She walked over to her bedside table, and opened the drawer. She removed a clear bag, and carried it back over to the closet. She bent down and put the bag into the box of treasures, next to the graduation photo.
The bag contained every single fragment of the vase that was in the picture, the same vase that she had swept up off of her living room floor two nights before. She shook her head and put the lid on the box, and after picking it up, she placed it back on the shelf. She grabbed her clothes off of the box and took them out and into her room, shutting the closet door briskly behind her.
She placed the clothes on a chair and threw herself onto her bed, where she stayed until morning, after crying herself to sleep.