Author: Kristen

Title: Hermione Granger and the Mermaid's Curse 4?

Email: http/magical-worlds.us/scribblings/

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in the Harry Potter books. Those all belong to J.K. Rowling. No infringement is intended and no profit is being made. Only this plot belongs to me.

Rating: R overall

Pairing:Ron/Hermione. I might include Harry/Ginny later.

Spoilers: All the way up to Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix but there won't be heavy mentions of it. It's all AU after that point.

Summary:Hermione is hit with the Mermaid's Curse and is forced to return to the water every night. She must marry to lift the curse or lose her magic and become a mermaid forever.

AN: I know this is a rather short chapter but it felt right to end it where I did. I suppose this is more of an interlude really. And many, many thanks go to my beta Lin for greatly improving the quality of my writing. I hope you like it. Please read and review!

Part 4

Meanwhile at the Burrow…

Ron swung his arm and watched the gnome he had thrown fly a fair distance as it screeched angrily. He nodded in satisfaction. Misery loved company after all, and he had misery to spare.

He was so pissed off at this situation. It wasn't enough that Hermione had to face the effects of the curse. No, now she had to deal with his stupid reaction last night too. He could cheerfully kill the twins right now. If Fred hadn't assumed things and asked when the wedding would be, Ron would never have blown up at Hermione and hurt her so badly.

He knew he had hurt her deeply and the knowledge tore at him. He had never wanted to hurt Hermione. He loved her with everything in him and since the moment he had first realized it, he had done his best to protect her and take care of her. He had known he cared for her as something more than his best friend since fifth year. Before Voldemort's defeat, he had spun fantasies of confessing his feelings after Harry fulfilled the prophecy and freed them all. He had pictured romantic dates and how he would propose to Hermione a year later. He had imagined the ceremony and where they would live, the children they would have. He had wanted it all. If his dormitory mates could have read his mind they'd have ragged on him for weeks for having such mushy thoughts.

He angrily grabbed another gnome who swore at him for his punishing grip. "Get yer hands off me you filthy bastard!" the gnome growled.

Ron ignored its struggles and the rest of the curses that spewed from its mouth. The pain and the anger that twisted and seethed inside him found an outlet as he tossed the pest. It flew a fair distance and bounced a few times before skidding to a stop. It turned back to face Ron and angrily shook its fist at him before scurrying off.

Ron didn't care. He knew the gnome would be back eventually and he'd evict it once more. He had plenty of emotions to work through and tossing gnomes was more satisfying than talking to anyone about it, even if he could find anybody to listen. He knew Ginny sided with Hermione on this, so he couldn't talk to her about it. He really couldn't talk to Hermione, and his other best friend was unavailable for comment. Since he couldn't talk to the people he normally would about his problems, Ron would keep clearing out the garden and try to straighten things out in his head on his own.

The sound of rustling leaves drew his attention to another gnome who was attempting to hide. He bore down on it with grim eyes and tightly drawn lips. The gnome squeaked in fear and took off. He ignored his wand that could so easily stun the gnome and instead relied on his body to chase down the gnome and catch it.

A few minutes later he had gripped the gnome by its left foot and was swinging it over his head like a living mace. Once he judged that he had built up enough momentum, he let loose the gnome with an angry war cry. He didn't even notice where it landed, as he had already begun to scour the garden for another of its brethren to throw.

He worked at a steady pace while thoughts spun through his mind one after the other. Hermione needed to marry. He had refused to do so. He had badly hurt his best friend, the love of his life. He had made her cry. Hermione needed to marry. Hermione would marry someone else. She wouldn't marry him. It wasn't going to be him. Hermione would never be his wife. He screamed in pain at the last thought. He didn't care who heard him. It wasn't right. It wasn't right, damn it!

It shouldn't be this way. He fell to his knees in the garden and sobbed. His shoulders shook and he cried in great heaving sobs, emotion spilling out of him with all the force and power of a tidal wave. He couldn't bear it. He couldn't catch his breath at the thought of life without her in it. It was all so wrong.

He gradually became aware of strong arms that held him and the soothing words of comfort that poured from his brother Charlie's mouth. He sank into those arms and wept for all that had been lost, unaware of his sister who watched and wept with him, relieved that their brother had come home early.

At the same time in Hogwarts' hospital wing…

He was at peace. He knew that everyone was safe and that he had accomplished the terrible task fate had chosen for him. It was enough. Now all that consumed him was the rest he needed, the rest he deserved. He was finished with the role of hero he had been forced to play. He didn't want to return to the world that had demanded so much of him.

Harry was distracted from his thoughts when a voice intruded upon the haven he had built for himself.

"Hi Harry, it's Hermione." There was a pause while he digested the news that Hermione had come to visit him again. The sound of her voice reminded him of her situation. Despite his resolve to never go back to the waking world, he worried about her. "I told Ron about the curse," her voice said. "He didn't take it well."

Harry was not surprised.

"I knew he wouldn't, and if you were awake you'd probably have agreed with me." He felt Hermione squeeze his hand as she whispered, "I wish you were awake, Harry."

The twinge he felt in his heart, the urge to run and comfort his best friend, momentarily made him wish the same. The brief thought was forgotten as Hermione continued.

"Fred, George, and Ginny came in at the end of our conversation and they foolishly asked Ron when the wedding would take place. Well, 'they' meaning the twins, not Ginny. You and I both know she's a lot smarter than that."

Harry laughed. That was an understatement. He had enjoyed the quick and clever wit Ginny had displayed in the year that they had grown closer. There were so many things to admire about Ginny: her courage, her determination, and her amazing strength that had carried her through experiences that would have destroyed another person… and her understanding of him. Ginny seemed to know him better than he knew himself. Then there was her looks. His awareness of her as a girl had gradually snuck up on him until one day he had looked at her and been struck dumb by her beauty.

One of the few happy days he had enjoyed in the time leading up to the inevitable confrontation with Voldemort had been an especially tough and vicious match against Slytherin that had lasted hours until Harry had finally caught the snitch. When the team had landed on the pitch amidst the Gryffindor students' screams of unadulterated glee, Ginny had run up to him and thrown her arms around him, pressing her body close to him while she whooped in delight at their win.

Her hair had swung forward and blindsided him with the heavenly smell of gardenias. Her beautiful eyes had sparkled with a delight that was focused entirely on him, her lips had looked so soft and touchable, and her closeness had unmistakably informed him that while he wasn't looking she had developed a body that felt amazing pressed up against him. Even her freckles had charmed him with their cuteness. All he had been able to do was grin stupidly at her and hold her while his brain had stopped and his heart jolted uncomfortably in his chest.

Ginny had never noticed, assuming his shock was purely due to the catch he had made while flying in such an unorthodox position. A particularly nasty collision with Malfoy just seconds before the match was over had almost knocked him completely off his broom. Only his quick reflexes had allowed him to lock his knees around the broom, hanging upside down, and Harry had stayed in that position while his broom had zoomed off in the direction of its own choosing, which was straight toward the previously unseen snitch. Malfoy had been infuriated.

After that fateful moment Harry had been unable to look at Ginny without recalling the memory of her so close to him. He had been besieged by fantasies playing out in his dreams at night and in daydreams of her during classes. Luckily, whenever he had been caught daydreaming he had been able to pass off his preoccupation as concern for the coming confrontation with Voldemort.

While he was remembering all of this, Hermione had still been talking and he was jolted back to what was going on when she said, "He's avoiding me. He hasn't looked me in the eyes once since he found out about the curse, and I'm afraid I've lost him forever. I don't know what to do." He felt a tear splash down upon his sleeping body. Hermione only said one thing more before he felt her leave him. "I miss you, Harry, and I need you. Come back to us, please."

Disturbed by this news, Harry frowned.

End Part 4

pippibabe: Thanks for your suggestion but ultimately this will be a Ron/Hermione fic.

lee74: Thanks. Hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much

harryrulesmyworld: Sorry for making you cry, but this story seems to be a great outlet for angst so I can't guarantee you won't cry again unfortunately.

xrazystoritellre: Thanks for your feedback! Sorry to make you cry but I am pleased that the scene garnered the right reaction.

peacelove: Thanks! I try not to do the same old plotlines in all of my stories, and while I do adore fluffy fics I'm continually trapped by the need for a plot in any fic I write.

TheaterLife09 Thanks I'm glad you like it.

Yamile: Kill Ron /stands protectively in front of Ron with weapons drawn/ I'm afraid I can't let you do that. I adore all of the Weasleys so losing Ron is just not acceptable. But, I'm glad you like the story. : )

Veronica: Thanks, I'm glad you like it

Bagheera: I like your screen name. Is that from the Jungle Book /tries to remember if the panther's name was spelled the same way/. Sorry about the suspense. I didn't mean to be cruel. Real life and health just get in the way, (although my health has really improved since I was anointed and prayed over by the church) I've also been working on my new baby, The Changing Destiny Website. I shall try not to do so again, but I won't make any promises for fear of angry readers beating down my door. : )

fredrocks: Hi Heather, I don't have your email address but if you want to be notified of updates you can join my mailing list for it. There's a link in my profile. Updates to all of my stories, including the ones I'm not allowed to post here for various reasons, are sent to my mailing list first before they're posted anywhere else.

notlefmot: Um… thanks for your rather short review.

PsychoHaired: Hooked /rubs hands together and cackles evilly/ Ah my evil plan is working. Soon I shall ensnare all of my readers. Mwa ha ha! cough cough I mean, thanks for reviewing!

Angie: Thank you, I'm happy you like it.

PsychoHaired: Thanks for the chocolates, I haven't tried them yet since I got back the final version of this chapter at the same time you sent your review. But I shall be sure I eat them when I sit down to write the next chapter.