Chapter 38: Something Blue
Author's Note: Hello again. As I am writing this authors note I notice that I have hit 101 reviews! Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed the story so far and this feels like my greatest achievement on fanfiction yet. I am not quite sure what this chapter will consist of but it will definitely have something to do with the wedding (perhaps something to do with the dress as well). Anyway I really hope that you like it and here is chapter 38!
"So what are you doing today?" Ron asked as he sat on the bed watching Hermione get dressed. Though it seemed slightly weird but he liked sitting there as she walked around trying different things on to see what she liked the best. It was relaxing and funny when she asked for his opinion. He knew nothing about clothes, especially women's clothes. It was sort of like asking an elephant which cleaning product would be best for the toilet; he really just didn't have a clue. Today it was the battle of the lightweight rust coloured jumper or the flowing navy blue top.
"I am meeting up with Ginny in twenty minutes. Which do you think looks best?" Hermione said, standing in front of him holding two coat hangers and the two different items of clothing on them. What was he supposed to say? He didn't know what to say. They both looked great on her. Everything looked great on her, but he wasn't going to say that right now.
"They both look great, erm go with the red one, and it goes well with your hair." Ron quickly decided, "What are you doing with Ginny?"
"Oh, I would tell you but then it wouldn't be a surprise." Hermione beamed.
"You are getting the dress aren't you?" Ron immediately interjected and Hermione laughed. She could have sworn he was psychic.
"Yeah I am getting the dress." Hermione told him and he smiled. "Oh and for the record, if I do find one that I like today, then I am keeping it at my Mum and Dad's house so that you do not stumble across it by chance. Then again, even if it is supposed to be bad luck I bet you would still find some way of getting a glance of it before the wedding." She added
"I thought you were considering wearing your Mum's wedding dress?" Ron enquired curiously as Hermione pulled the jumper over her head.
"I was going to because then we would save money. But I tried it on but then I found out that it is two sizes too small. Perhaps it would have fitted two years ago just after the war had ended but I guess we have all put on weight since then. I thought about putting a charm on it so that it was bigger but then it would not really be the same would it? Also my Mum wore that dress twenty three years ago, I think that styles have changed quite a bit since then." Hermione sighed
"You are perfect Hermione. You are not fat, you are not thin. You are perfect" Ron smiled kissing her cheek. She then sweetly turned around and kissed him back. "And I cannot wait to see you in that dress Hermione Granger." Ron added, mumbling against her lips.
"Yes well you will have to wait another good few months before you get to see me in it Ron Weasley." She smartly informed her fiancée and Ron sighed. "Oh that reminds me, have you sorted out what you and Harry are wedding for the wedding yet?" Hermione questioned pryingly. Unlike him, she would be making sure that she saw what Ron was wearing before the wedding, otherwise there was a possibility that she would get a bit of a shock when she met him at the altar in a few months time.
"No, Harry and I are going to do it in a couple of weeks at the beginning of September. Apparently, they always have sales part way through September because the majority of people get married in the summer." Ron informed in an "as a matter of fact" way.
"I best get going. I will see you later." Hermione told him softly and disapparated to Harry and Ginny's house. It was incredibly quiet on what was a normally busy London road. But that was not what Hermione was thinking of. From what they could see Harry and Ginny seemed to argue a hell of a lot more often than she and Ron did. It felt like over the past two years, the two relationships had sort of switched places, by this she meant that Ron and Hermione had become a great deal more settled and Harry and Ginny had started to experience a very uneasy and unpredictable relationship. To be truthful, Hermione really hoped that they somehow would pull through all the uncertainty in their relationship and come out the other end of the tunnel happier than ever.
It was half way through August now and the year 2000 had been of reasonably cool weather, even now at the height of the summer, nobody was walking around in t-shirts or shorts or anything like that. At least it was not so cold that they were wandering around in snow storm gear. Hermione walked up to the door step and rang the muggle door bell.
Harry then opened the door; his hair looked slightly dishevelled and more messy than normal. His eyes looked red and tired and he was still in his pyjamas. "Hi, Hermione. Ginny is just getting ready." Harry grinned at his best friend, but he still looked exhausted. Hermione then took a seat on the sofa next to Harry and frowned when she saw Harry sleepily rub his eyes before placing his glasses back on. "Harry are you alright?" Hermione questioned worriedly.
"I am fine, I am just really tired. It has been a long week at work. Why?" Harry asked confusedly.
"You just look exhausted. Like really really exhausted." Hermione informed him. As she said this another figure emerged in living room and took Hermione by surprise.
"Harry, who was at the do-?" A voice quickly interjected behind Hermione but did not quite finish their sentence. She turned around to see Ginny stood with a thick blanket wrapped around her body; her cheeks had turned a deep shade of red almost matching her ginger hair.
"Oh-" Hermione gasped and turned her head away back towards Harry, who had his head in his hands in order to try and conceal his embarrassment slightly but not succeeding. "So much for a busy week at work, Harry Potter." Hermione mumbled.
"Oh god I walked in on you two doing things, god I am sorry." Hermione said, her cheeks turning red.
"I am sorry, Hermione." Ginny chuckled, trying to make a joke of the situation. "It is our fault, we both got a bit caught up in the moment and lost track of time."
"A bit caught up. You don't say." Harry muttered and then immediately shut up as soon as he saw Ginny's powerful and slightly intimidating glare. He knew that saying anything else would be words that he would live to regret.
"I will get dressed and meet you back down here in a few minutes. Have you eaten yet?" Ginny asked furrowing her eyebrows. "No." Hermione announced, realising that she had been in such a rush that she had forgotten to eat any breakfast. "How about we get something in the Leaky Cauldron first? I will pay." Ginny hinted and Hermione giggled.
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"So, how are you?" Hermione posed as they sat down with pancakes and pumpkin juice in a quiet corner of the Leaky Cauldron.
"I am fine, why do you ask?" Ginny wondered curiously, her eyebrows creased confusedly.
"I mean how things between you and Harry are?" Hermione gestured, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. It was not the easiest of topics to rise but both Ron and Hermione were worried that Harry and Ginny's relationship was gradually going southwards. It was strange as that was how at the beginning they thought their relationship would go, but now Harry and Ginny's relationship was going instead and no one could see it getting a hell of a lot better anytime soon.
"A lot better, I admit that we do often have our arguments but things are better, as you could see from earlier when you arrived at the house." Ginny raised one of her eyebrows at Hermione and they both laughed. "Why?" Ginny questioned
"It is just that when you and Harry first got together, before Ron and I pulled ourselves together and kissed already you two were exactly what I wanted with Ron." Hermione sighed and Ginny nodded. "You got each other completely and never were stupid enough like us to tip toe around one another. We – Ron and I are worried about you both; you just both seem to be hurting so much and cannot explain to the other why. Do you know what I mean?" Hermione finished and Ginny silently agreed before taking a deep breath in order to speak.
"I guess that it happened, all this arguing when we both got settled into our jobs. Harry has become some sort of workaholic and I get that he loves his job but sometimes he doesn't seem to understand that you can put an essay down one day and pick it up the next after you have gone home and had a sleep. I admit that I am not one to talk; I don't get to talk to Harry in the morning because I leave to apparate to Holyhead so early. Also when we have matches I don't get to spend much time with Harry over the weekend. Sometimes we hardly see each other. How do you and Ron do it, Hermione? You both have busy schedules and yet you have loads of time together." Ginny notified.
"Go on holiday. Just go somewhere, anywhere for a week or two together. Then you are away from all the stress of normal life and far away from any sort of work. We all get time off for a good few weeks starting on Friday. Why don't you go then and just enjoy yourselves? Just do not forget that you have you are nineteen, Harry is twenty and you both have your entire lives to figure out whatever is going on." Hermione tried to be persuasive and Ginny smiled.
"Thanks Hermione, I will see what I can find and then tell Harry." Ginny beamed merrily.
The rest of the day past quite quickly after that and soon enough they were trailing from shop to shop trying to find Hermione's wedding dress and Ginny's bridesmaid dress before the sunset came once again on another late summer's day. It wasn't until they reached the final shop for the day that Hermione saw the dress she wanted.
"Ginny, that is it." Hermione beamed joyfully as she caught sight of what she saw as the perfect dress.
"That is what?" Ginny enquired, raising her eyebrows in confusion as she missed most of what Hermione said.
"That is the one. I have found the wedding dress." Hermione told her, almost literally jumping up and down in excitement. And after that, for the first time she could remember, she completely forgot about how much the dress cost and immediately bought it.
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After departing ways with Ginny, Hermione quickly disapparated to her parent's house in which she had lived in until two years previously. Whenever she came here, she instantly remembered that there was a time that she had no idea that she was a witch, and was just another average muggle. And there was a time when the words Hogwarts, and Quidditch had never appeared in her mind and she was just going to go to some normal muggle high school. Never, did she picture walking up the path carrying a wedding dress, being a witch and getting married to the most loving wizard she could think of. And in that moment, she was so glad that all of these things were happening and taking place because she did not have a clue where she would be right now if she had not got her Hogwarts letter.
"Mum? Dad? Are you here?" Hermione called as she entered her childhood home and closed the door behind her.
"Hi Hermione, oh..." Helena walked in and gasped as she saw the large dry cleaners style bag that was in Hermione's arms. "Did you get the dress?" Her mother asked and Hermione smiled and nodded.
"Can I see it?" Helena questioned excitedly and Hermione nodded once again in agreement.
"Is Dad here?" Hermione wondered as she walked up the stairs and hung it the dress up on the wardrobe door in her bedroom.
"No, he is supposed to be back in an hour though." Helena informed her and then Hermione showed her the dress. "Hermione it is beautiful, it reminds me slightly of my wedding dress."
"That is why I chose this one." Hermione beamed and tears sparkled in her mother's eyes. Hermione had always had a very close relationship with her parents and she was glad that they were able to accept her being a witch and the way that she used magic. Both her Mum and Dad had a great interest in magic, in particularly her Dad who was like the muggle equivalent of Arthur Weasley. She hoped that maybe one day, she and Ron's children would have this sort of close relationship with them as parents.
"But why, why would you choose a dress like my one? I thought you thought it was a too old fashioned?" Helena enquired curiously.
"Because I admit that it is a bit old fashioned but I really liked it as well to some extent. The main reason I did not wear it is because it will not fit. I did not realise that I had put on this much weight but it is two sizes too small for me. I bought one that looks alike because it makes me feel like I am wearing the dress that you got married to Dad in except it is slightly more modern and actually fits. Then there will always be a part of you and Dad with me at the wedding." Hermione sighed and hugged her Mum.
"How is Ron?" Helena questioned curiously having not seen Hermione and Ron for at least a good few weeks.
"He is fine. He is going to get his suit fitted next week so then at least what we are wearing will be sorted. Starting on Friday we both get a few weeks off and so we will come and see you both then." Hermione smiled.
"I am so happy for you Hermione. You have been talking about Ron since your third year at Hogwarts nonstop. Both your Dad and I could see that you really loved him even back then. And now look at you, ten years after you got on that train at Kings Cross you are getting married to him. You really are perfect for each other might I add." Helena told her and Hermione beamed.
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The sun was setting and the evening had arrived by the time that Hermione opened the door to 26, Snowberry Road. When she stepped into the living room she smiled at the sight of Ron fast asleep and spread out on the sofa. As she predicted, he was quietly snoring as he so often did when he lay on his back. But she did not mind the sound of Ron snoring, she found it relaxing and it made her smile that he was snoring next to her and no one else in the world.
She turned her head slightly and saw that dinner was already laid on the table with a heating charm cast over it. Ron must have made it a while before hand and placed a heating charm on it before waiting for Hermione to get back from her parent's house. Whenever he cooked and she complimented him he would always turn and say "Always the tone of surprise." Over the past three years this had become some sort of inside joke between the two of them that only they really understood. But the fact was that Ron actually was a really good cook, and Hermione was guessing he had inherited that from his mother; Mrs. Weasley.
She walked over to Ron and shook him slightly before planting a soft kiss on his lips. "Ron, Ron wake up." Hermione said softly and Ron quickly opened his eyes and sat up.
"Hello, love. What time is it?"Ron questioned and a tear fell down Hermione's face. Love. He had called her love. Ron had never called her love before, for the past ten years it had been Hermione or 'Mione and as they got into a relationship he called her 'Mione more often but never had he called her love. It was weird and sweet and something about it made her heart stop with happiness and joy.
"Hey, what is wrong Hermione?" Ron queried, sounding concerned as he wiped the tear from her face with his thumb.
"Nothing, nothing is wrong." Hermione sniffed and giggled slightly. "It is just that you have never called me love before, it was really sweet." Hermione added as she blushed.
"I did not realise that I had never said it before, well it is true; I love you and I will love you for the rest of my life and whatever happens after that." Ron smiled softly.
"I love you too. It is half past five by the way. I have only just got back." Hermione informed him, answering his original question before their conversation took a detour. "I see that you made dinner, you did not have to, and I was just going to order a take away if we did not have much time to make anything." She beamed kissing his cheek and pulling him up from the sofa.
"I wanted to, besides I like increasing my cooking skills. I love saying "always the tone of surprise" to you when you smile." Ron told her and Hermione laughed.
"Oh and guess what?" Ron quickly added.
"What?" Hermione asked puzzled
"George asked Angelina to marry him and she said yes." Ron smiled and Hermione returned the grin happily. "That is great." Both of them knew how lost and alone George had felt after Fred had died despite having all of the Weasley family around him. But Angelina was different. Angelina made George smile and laugh as if Fred was still there. At first they all thought it was slightly weird given the fact that Angelina had originally dated Fred, causing much speculation as to why George liked Angelina so much. But then again, nobody would ever be able to replace Fred but Angelina was the thing that made him most happy so nobody could complain.
It was not long after that that Ron and Hermione were both sat contentedly on the sofa of their living room allowing time to swiftly pass by by watching muggle television. Ron was never quite one hundred percent sure how to make it work or use it correctly, but Hermione did not always have the heart to tell him how to do it and to be frank she found it funny watching Ron try to find out how to operate it for himself.
"Wow, you are a great cook." Hermione sighed as she rested her head on Ron's shoulder and he stroked her hand with his thumb gently.
"So are you, you know. You can cook Hermione." Ron informed her sweetly.
"Yeah but at least you do not burn things fifty percent of the time, Ron. Often mine just comes out of the oven as charcoal." Hermione giggled and Ron's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What is a percentage?" Ron asked and Hermione laughed. "Oh Ron, you really don't know anything on the subject of Maths do you?" And Ron shook his head regrettably. Just after she said this, the doorbell rang.
"I will get it." Hermione told him before getting up from the sofa. She emerged into the living room a few minutes later with a red eyed Ginny.
"Gin, are you alright?" Ron questioned his sister.
"I'm fine honestly." Ginny sniffed, wiping a tear away from her face. Ron sensed that he was going to end up stuck in an awkward situation if he didn't say anything sooner or later.
"Do you want me to go, so it's just you two?" Ron asked awkwardly before starting to stand up.
"No, you may as well here this as well. You're just going to hear it from Hermione after I leave otherwise." Ginny sighed and Hermione nodded. "She has a point." Hermione nodded
A few minutes later Ginny was sat on the soft sofa in between her best friend and brother. They both knew that something had happened between her and Harry that had finally made her crack. It was like having a glass ornament, things would happen to make the glass weaker and weaker, then one day it would just crack, like Harry and Ginny's relationship.
"So you know about George and Angelina then?"Ginny questioned and they nodded.
"Is this what this is about? Getting married?" Hermione asked and Ginny silently replied. This was something that had been constantly at the back of Ginny's mind ever since Ron and Hermione had got engaged nine months previously. Ron and Hermione had been in a relationship a lot less time then Harry and Ginny but then again, Ron and Hermione had always mentally been in the relationship. Gradually, one by one they were all getting married and now she was one of the last ones left.
"Yeah. You two, Bill and Fleur, Percy and Audrey, George and Angelina. You're all either married or engaged. And now it is only me and Charlie left. I mean come on Charlie has never had a girlfriend and has more interest in dragons so it's either that he is gay, doesn't understand the meaning of love or has absolutely no sex appeal in the eyes of women. Meaning I'm the last one of us left. I don't have a bloody clue where Harry and I are going but I love him more than anything else in the world and I don't know where I stand anymore." Ginny cried and Ron handed her a tissue.
"If Harry asked you to marry him, would you say yes?" Hermione questioned
"Hell I would. It isn't fun being the only one left." Ginny giggled tearfully.
"What is to say that he wouldn't propose?" Ron said positively and Ginny glared at him sharply. "Have you seen the state of our relationship Ron? I don't know what he wants nowadays."
"I think what Ron's trying to say is you've not broke up. Not once did he ever stop missing you in those ten months we were away. He never will stop loving you Ginny, but maybe it'll happen one step at a time." Hermione smiled and Ginny hugged both her and Ron.
"Thanks." She nodded, standing up. "I'm going to go and talk to Harry, see where exactly this is going." And with that she disapparated.
Both of them flopped down on the sofa exhausted, hoping there wouldn't be any more interruptions during the rest of this night. They knew that there would get settled someday. "They'll sort things out eventually." Hermione sighed, kissing Ron softly on the lips before resting her head on his chest.
"I give it a year." Ron smiled as he stroked her bushy brown hair. "A year and they will be engaged, just wait." Kissing her again.
And he was absolutely right.
A/N: hello, this has taken me a week (I think) but that is because I have so much homework from my new school. If any you have noticed, I sort of ironically used the name of film "I give it a year." I am not sure if anyone is familiar with the British Film viewing system but there are numbered categories: 12,15,18- despite being 14, I look old enough to get into a 15 film! Also, you may disagree with the Harry and Ginny situation but I believe there would be tension given that they're both such strong headed characters. Anyway PLEASE REVIEW!