Chapter 10 Sadness

Harry returned each night and listened to Emily cry herself to sleep. The anger she felt seemed to be more focused and Harry was sure if he could see her, she would look drawn and tired. Her garden bloomed and a small stream had appeared a few days ago, complete with frogs and fish. Harry tried not to think how angry she would be if she knew it was his doing. But then he wasn't consciously doing it anyway.

After a month, Hermione wrote to him, begging to meet him at The Leaky Cauldron. Harry went at the appointed time and was surprised to see how drawn Hermione looked.

"Hey," Harry leaned down and kissed her cheek, "What's up?"

"You look as bad as I feel," Hermione laughed grimly.

"Ron away with the team?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered, her eyes flaring dangerously.

"You two fighting again?"

"No," Hermione denied, and then she sighed and said, "We broke up."

"What? What happened," Harry asked.

"It's a long story, why don't you order something first."

They order their food, a steak and dressing for Harry and a salad for Hermione. Though he noted she didn't have her usual butterbeer, but asked for mineral water instead.

"Should I congratulate you?" Harry asked quietly, suddenly realizing what the golden glow around her aura was telling him.

"See!" Hermione exclaimed. "It took you all of five minutes to work it out and yet my stupid boyfriend still hasn't figured it out yet."

"Did you consider just telling him?"

"Well, I was trying to," Hermione looked down at the table, "But I wanted him to tell me what he saw in our future, you know? Did he want to get married or move in together…"

Harry waited to see if she was going to elaborate and when she didn't he said, "Well I'm sure he'll want to once he knows about the baby."

"Don't you think I know that," Hermione sniffed, "But I had hoped he would want me for ME, you know? Oh maybe I'm just being stupid, we both know Ron's not the sensitive type and I love him the way he is. But sometimes I would like to come before quidditch."

"You know exactly what you mean to him Hermione, don't kid yourself," Harry replied softly, "But I guess I understand what you mean. Do you want me to talk to him?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, I want him to work this out on his own this time. But enough of my problems what's wrong with you?"

Harry told Hermione about Sarah and then about Emily and he admitted how he had believed she would be the one for him, but that she had not reacted well to his obliviating her.

"Well you can understand that," Hermione reasoned, "None of us would like to know we had had our memories altered."

"I understand that, I do really, but what am I supposed to do?" Harry asked. "She doesn't even want to talk to me again, to let me try to fix it."

"Maybe you should speak to her, then, I don't know. Give her a phone number where she can call you and let her make the next move."

"She's angry, I can sense it," Harry replied.

"I'm angry with Ron, but that doesn't mean I don't love him," Hermione pointed out.

"So why are you sitting here with me instead of him?" Harry asked.

"Because he's so incredibly unobservant sometimes it drives me mad," Hermione smiled.

The spent more time sitting and chatting about their potential partners and then Hermione offered to take him to buy a muggle mobile phone – so that Emily could call him, if she wanted to. Thanking her and kissing her cheek, Harry turned and headed back to the Ministry, mentally making a note to slap his best friend upside the head next time he saw him.

Harry didn't have long to wait, Ron turned up at Harry's apartment that evening, just as Harry was preparing to go and visit Emily. Harry took one look at his friend's miserable face and went to fetch the butterbeers – it was going to take a while.

"Well?" Harry asked sternly.

"You've seen her then?" Ron asked miserably.

"This afternoon, and she looked miserable too," Harry confirmed.

"Really?" Ron looked slightly cheered by this news, "I thought maybe she didn't…. love me any more."

"Do you love her?" Harry countered.

"You know I do, I've loved her since I was fourteen years old," Ron replied.

"Then why are you both still living in separate houses?" Harry asked.

"I didn't want us to turn into my parents," Ron replied in a small voice. "I wanted to be good enough for her, you know…to buy the perfect place and have money to raise a family once my quidditch days were over."

"First, I happen to like your parents and I would be honoured to emulate the kind of life they have together," Harry said. "And secondly, Hermione doesn't give a damn about material things – you know that."

"I know and to be honest, I guess I have made enough money over the years," Ron replied, "But I'm just scared, what if I mess it up?"

"Would you rather she married someone else?" Harry asked.

"There's someone else?" Ron all but screeched. "Who? I'll kill him."

"Calm down, there's no one else," Harry replied. "But maybe it's time for you to grow up and start living your own life and stop worrying about how everyone else lives."

"Oh that's nice, coming from the only other single Gryffindor I know?"

"Well, I'm working on that too," Harry replied with a ghost of a smile. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"Yes!"

"Well don't you think it's time to tell her that?"

"She's angry with me now, so I'll let her cool of a bit before I go see her," Ron said.

"Ronald Weasley, since when have you been such a coward?" Harry said harshly, "I've never known you to hide before, and believe me; she is not going to calm down this time. You have to fix this – before it's too late."

"I know," Ron muttered. "But she still makes me feel like a stuttering teenager when she loses her temper. I tend to say things I don't really mean."

"Then just tell her that you love her and ask her to marry you," Harry advised. "She'll stop screaming then for sure."

"I have the ring and everything," Ron fished out a small jewellery box from his pocket. "I bought it about six years ago, when I played in Israel, they have a cool diamond factory there."

"Six years!" Harry exclaimed in surprise, "And you didn't work up the courage to ask her yet?"

Ron shrugged, looking a bit red around the ears and then he smiled sheepishly, "Do you think I should tell her that?"

"Actually, I think she needs to hear that," Harry patted his friends shoulder, "The sooner the better."

Taking a swig from his butterbeer, Ron stood up and squared his shoulders, "Right, you're right. I'm going to do it now, before I lose my courage."

"She'll say yes you know?"

"She'd better," Ron called over his shoulder as he walked out the door.

Harry sat for a while staring at the door and wondered if he was going to have to wait six years for Emily to forgive him. Then he thought about what Ron had said about the Diamond factory in Israel – maybe he should pay it a visit.