CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

'I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that is was already behind him.'
~F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby~

Thank Merlin for Mrs. Weasley, Hermione thought for the billionth time that day. Her turquoise gown was practically unrecognisable as Mrs. Weasley continued to alter it with her magic wand. It had been hard to give up the dress, since she had been so in love with it the way it was, but she couldn't afford a new one and there was no way she was wearing it to another pure-blood affair. Mrs. Weasley had been hesitant to change it, as well, but once she started, she was like a woman possessed.

Hermione lounged on the couch, finishing off her yogurt. She had dropped the dress off that morning and Apparated over during her lunch break to see how the job was going. Instead of turquoise, the dress was now a deep purple.

"How did Draco enjoy his first Olympics? That opening ceremony was breathtaking." Mrs. Weasley said, conversationally as she continued to wave her wand madly. The fabric kept changing, random strings weaving together.

Hermione smiled, "Good. But he got really quiet when they were talking about all the different stories of the people that carried the torch. I think it really moved him, but he just didn't know how to say it."

"That poor boy," Mrs. Weasley murmured.

Hermione nodded, "I'm sure he's glued to his telly, though. Narcissa insisted they buy one straight away after the Opening Ceremony. It's probably the one thing to get him away from the study. He was really enamoured with the concept of archery."

"Archery?" Mrs. Weasley laughed, "Well, yes, that is something. I remember my first Olympics, all those muggle games had me hooked. So strange, those muggles."

Hermione grinned, reaching for the remote. She turned the tv on and flipped through the sports channels, finding a women's football match on. She wondered if Draco was watching it, or he had decided to watch one of the other channels broadcasting different games. On second thought, why was she thinking about Draco so much? This wasn't really something she should be doing.

"My, my, dear," Mrs. Weasley's voice was higher than normal and Hermione snapped her head towards her. Mrs. Weasley looked away from the clock and said, "Don't you need to get back to work?"

Mrs. Weasley looked almost desperate. Hermione looked at her watch and saw she still had fifteen minutes. "Um... not yet. Is everything okay?"

"Of course!" Mrs. Weasley fanned her face with her hand and tried to smile like nothing was wrong. Hermione stared at her worriedly. "But wouldn't you like to go visit George first? Don't you two spend every afternoon together?"

"Isn't George visiting Angelina's parents today?" Hermione asked, remembering their conversation from the other day when George had expressly told her he wouldn't be around all day.

Mrs. Weasley laughed again, throwing her head back in a slightly manic way. Hermione tried to laugh with her, but what ended up coming out was a mangled giggle. Mrs. Weasley stopped laughing and stared intently at the dress, while her eyes kept shooting furtive glances at the clock that kept ticking away. It wasn't their usual clock, the one that told them where members of their family were. Harry had gotten them a real clock for Christmas two years ago and so it hung haphazardly over their fireplace.

Hermione tried to focus on the football game, but her mind was too divided. There was Draco and the dress and Mrs. Weasley's strange behaviour. She wasn't mad about the Ron situation since she had given Hermione a fierce hug and declared her son a fool and a moron and then promptly offered her a selection of treats fresh from her oven that morning. So what was going on?

Minutes later, Mrs. Weasley said again, "Hun, I really think it's time you head back to work."

Hermione could take a hint, she knew when she wasn't wanted. She stood up, turning the telly off and hugged Mrs. Weasley goodbye. The short woman smelled like the baked goods she'd slaved over that morning. She only came up to Hermione's ear, so Hermione stole one last look at her dress. When she picked it up tomorrow its metamorphosis would be complete.

The door opened and suddenly Mrs. Weasley went very tense in her arms. They pulled away as a high pitched giggling filled the room. Hermione turned around, realising a moment too late why Mrs. Weasley had encouraged her early departure. There was her ex-boyfriend in the doorway, looking like he'd swallowed a fly, with peppy, blonde, Jenna Boyle next to him.

"Ronald," Mrs. Weasley looked flustered, "you're early."

Ron didn't seem to have heard his mother- his eyes were locked firmly on Hermione.

Hermione had never really thought about how their first meeting since the break-up would go. She hadn't envisioned this, although if she had thought ahead to this moment she'd probably be just as unprepared as she was now. The first thing Hermione registered was that the giggling had stopped. She looked at Jenna and saw her skirt was way too short to be considered a skirt. It was more like knickers.

The room was deathly silent.

Finally, Ron's vocal chords resumed working and he got out, "Yeah... Jenna wanted us to be early,"

Jenna wanted us to be early, the words pounded in her head, making her feel sick. She felt gutted, actually hurt all over again. Maybe this was how she grieved, seeing what she'd lost right up close and personal. "Are you two together now?" The words came tumbling out before she could think.

"What?" Ron said loudly, "NO!" He looked like that was the stupidest thing she could have said at the moment.

In a matter of weeks, Jenna Boyle could get Ronald Weasley to be early, which was something Hermione Granger had spent years trying to accomplish (unsuccessfully). It was all Hermione could think, no matter what Ron said. Although, his volume and the complete shock in his voice made her think he was telling the truth. As she hadn't said anything, Ron marched on, completely forgetting there were other people in the room, "How could I be with her when I'm in love with you?"

She sucked in a breath as his words rattled around the room. As if his voice hadn't been loud enough as he shouted it at her, it was like they ricocheted over every object in the overcrowded room. Well, Hermione thought wryly, this was not how I imagined my first 'I love you.' She needed to use sarcasm or else she was afraid she'd have a mental breakdown.

"Excuse me?" She asked, glaring at Ron.

Ron, for his part, seemed completely and thoroughly bashful at his admission. He looked down at his shoes like they were more interesting.

"Why don't we go into the kitchen, Jenna?" Mrs. Weasley said, her voice completely devoid of the nervous hysterical tone it had had earlier. Hermione chanced a look over at her and saw she was trying to contain her excitement. A feeling of dread pooled in her stomach- it was like Mrs. Weasley was expecting them to get back together. Were they getting back together? Ron was declaring his love for her and it was obvious she missed him the way her heart was pounding and she felt like she was going to be sick. But... what about Draco, a deep, tiny part of her brain shrieked.

Unfortunately, that part of her brain was very loud.

Jenna didn't look very much like she wanted to leave Ron alone with Hermione. It was written all over her face: she liked Ron. And leaving him with the girl he had just proclaimed- more like shouted- his love to wasn't the ideal situation for her. Because unrequited love sucked, Hermione knew. She had felt that way for years, pinning after Ron and now a part of her feared she was about to fall into the same cycle with Draco Malfoy.

Jenna looked at Ron, like he was going to turn to her and say, "No, stay." If what Harry and Ginny had said was true, then he did have some feelings for Jenna and was probably messing with her head. But Ron didn't do any such thing and Jenna reluctantly left the room with Mrs. Weasley.

Ron never looked up at her and she realised she'd have to be the one to say something. If Draco had said he loved her, he wouldn't have looked away from her at all, she knew. His eyes would have bore into her, straight through her, probably. No. No. She was not comparing them.

But what was she supposed to say?

"You love me?" She questioned, unsure how she was supposed to react. Was he expecting her to go running to into his arms and kiss and make-up like nothing had happened? "When did you figure this out?" She felt like being a bitch and popped her hip, setting her hands on them. A week had gone by and he'd come to this revelation and not said anything to her? If he loved her, he wasn't even going to fight for her?

Ron didn't move a muscle and it irritated to her to no end. "Well?" She promoted, her tone short and clipped. It seemed like all his earlier confidence at yelling his love had evaporated and he had reverted back into the usual, tall, gangly, awkward boy she knew.

Ron glanced up at her. She raised her eyebrows waiting to hear what he had to say.

"As soon as you walked away."

"What?" She was so angry she hadn't even remembered what she asked him.

Ron sighed, like he really didn't want to repeat himself. "I knew I loved you the moment you walked away."

She sucked in a breath, wondering what it all meant. "But you let me leave!" She yelled, completely forgetting to be considerate of the people in the house.

"I-" Ron stopped and Hermione started to pace. How could be saying that? She wanted to slap him or punch the wall. She had chugged along for a week telling herself she was fine and missed Ron as a friend. She was chuffed about her upcoming trip with Draco. It had hurt to hear Ron had feelings for Jenna and that had brought the whole Ron dilemma to the forefront of her mind, but she had never considered going back to him. And now there he was, telling her loved her.

"I've always loved you," He finally said, "My whole life. I was just too daft to realise it until you were walking away. And I let you go because I thought that... I thought that was what you wanted."

Hermione shook her head, "I saw you with Jenna."

Ron looked like she'd punched him the gut. "What?"

"I saw you with Jenna," She said again, knowing what Harry had witnessed in Ron was true. "You're being daft now by saying you're in love with me. You aren't. You're afraid of moving forward since you and me have been together for eight years, so you're trying to fool yourself into loving me. But you don't."

"What?" Ron protested weakly, "Hermione, I love y-"

She shook her head, "Don't lose Jenna, Ron. Don't be afraid. She likes you, it's clear on her face. But Ron... I don't want to lose you. You're so important to me... it might be hard right now, but I want to be friends. Harry's doing a great job of splitting time between us, but it isn't the same and you know it."

She wasn't sure how Ron was going to react to all of that. She hoped he'd understand. It hadn't been easy for her, but she knew it was right. If they both tried to fold themselves up into the overhanging box that had become their relationship, they'd never be happy. They had to do what was right for them and not what everyone was expecting. She and Ron weren't right together, no matter how much Mrs. Weasley hoped or what Ron wanted in this pivotal moment of transition and moving forward.

Finally, Ron nodded and Hermione smiled.

"You were always too smart for me anyway, 'Mione." Ron grinned.

'Mione, her heart soared. They'd be okay. She'd been right all along. Ron and her would always find their way back to each other, because they were meant to be together. As friends.

She was late to work, but it didn't matter. The Golden Trio was back- at least, that's what the Daily Prophet had called them a few times. It was good to be a threesome again, it felt right. They had always been together because they were meant to all be best friends. That would never change.

She folded herself into a corner of the shop and texted Harry: Patched things up with Ron :)

When it was finally time to go home for the evening, a force knocked her backwards into the side of the shop. "'Mione!" The giant wall said, as Hermione tried to regain her wits, "You have to help me!"

"George?" She asked, trying to shove the building high Weasley off her. George let go and she removed herself from the side of the shop she had been squashed against. Her back hurt. "What is going on?"

"Angelina is a bridezilla! She's crazy!" George said, sounding like a hysterical madman.

Hermione grinned, "Haven't you been engaged for like... a day?"

"I'm serious, 'Mione." George went on, the most serious she had seen him since the day they buried his twin brother, "This is no laughing matter and I usually think everything is a laughing matter."

"What am I supposed to do?" Hermione asked, beginning to walk away from the shop.

"Make her uncrazy!" George said, flailing his arms in the air like that would make her more sympathetic to his cause.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Just talk to her. Calm her down. Angelina never seemed like the type to care what people thin-"

"That's what I thought!" George cut in, "Here I was thinking I got lucky, nailing a cool chick, whose gorgeous, and smart, and down to earth. Not to mention she loves Quidditch. But I was wrong, 'Mione! She's off her rocker, mental, bonkers!"

Hermione smiled to herself at his hysteria and said, "Did you pick a date?"

"Angie said something about spring. 'Mione, that's practically a whole bleeding year away!"

"George, you need to just talk to her and help her plan everything. I can only imagine how much stuff goes into planning a wedding. There's flowers, music, rings, vows, food, place cards, a venue, save the dates, invitations, party favours, reception, photos- just so much stuff that needs to be planned."

One glance at George told her he wasn't listening anymore. She rolled her eyes, typical bloke. No wonder Angelina was already crazy. She was probably terrified he'd show up with a stink bomb or some new experiment that would send a million tiny frogs croaking every time someone blinked (knowing George, he'd be able to create that).

"Just be there for her, okay?" Hermione said, nudging his side.

"Can't you just make her normal again?" George pouted, like a sad puppy.

"Nope." She grinned, enjoying his pain a tad more than she should have.

"You're doing this on purpose. You're on her side." George accused, his eyes growing wide.

She huffed, "I can't abandon my gender in their time of need,"

"I'm your friend!" George cried.

She laughed, "Remember elementary school when if you were a girl you could only be friends with girls and same for boys?"

"No," George deadpanned, not looking amused at all.

"Oh," Hermione said, "Probably just a muggle thing then. Well, you have cooties."

"Cooties?" George asked, the word foreign to him.

She smiled, "Yup. And so, I must side with Angie and tell you that you're being an insensitive bloke."

George sighed, "I don't know why I thought I could count on you."

"Because I'm awesome," She joked, bumping her hip into his. "And you love me."

George chuckled, but didn't dispute the fact. "A little bird told me you're going to Italy."

Hermione felt her heart pound a bit faster than usual. Her eyes narrowed as she pictured the culprit with all her fiery hair and matching personality in her mind. "Ginny."

"Ah ha. So it is true. At least Malfoy knew enough about you to know you'd wanna do some sightseeing. None of us need another Paris Debacle." George elbowed her side, "But if that bastard git so much as looks at you the wrong way, I will-"

"Nothing is going on with us. It's for the show, we're supposed to do pure-blood stuff, remember? And the Malfoys like going to fancy dinners and indulging in all of life's luxuries. Also, it was The Paris Incident." She grinned, pulling a posh accent. "Plus," She added, remembering something, "Narcissa is the one who decided to make it a weekend trip. She and Lucius are coming with us."

"Of course. Figures Draco isn't that smart. Didn't his potion always explode? And he was a shite seeker. Only made the team because his daddy bought him the spot." George said, his voice not as carefree as it usually was.

Hermione glanced over at him and muttered something inaudible.

George glanced at her, his eyes wide. "Merlin, you like him and you don't even know it."

"What? No, I don't! Can everyone stop saying that?"

"I'm getting married, 'Mione. I know a bit about love. That thing you just did, trying to defend him nonchalantly? I invented that. Angie used to take a lot of rubbish about her Quidditch playing from a bunch of annoying girls at Hogwarts that thought Quidditch was for blokes."

"Really?" Hermione asked, "I didn't know she was bullied."

"Yeah, all the time. That was before you guys showed up. Either way, it eventually stopped, but I used to just mutter about how cool she was and sports were for everyone. The best part is, you don't even know it. And neither did I. Not even when Fred was going out with her. Never knew a thing. Angie just snuck up on me, she did. And I wouldn't have it any other way." George had a dreamy look on his face, he probably could have flown away if he tried.

Hermione rubbed her arms and attempted to play it off, "I know everything."

George glanced at her and shrugged, a coy smile on his face, similar to the one Harry had worn while she wrote her letter to Ginny. And they both had that same smile because they were two men in love.

A/N Hi everyone :D I hope you like this chapter, some character developments here. Next chapter: Italy, Hermione and Draco in a hotel, a certain person sans a shirt, Doctor Who- opps. I just checked the document. That's all chapter 23. 22 is: another certain person in scantily clad pjs, coffee, airports... ANYWAY! I should have deleted the 23 bits, but I don't feel like it after I typed all that.

Thank you to: Taylor F, edwardsoneandonlylove, Potterheads, Loveable Leo, Kleptokitten, CheshireCat23, Blah. Blah. Blah. Monster, and desertblossom.