Chapter Eight.
Hermione inwardly cursed Harry for interrupting her and Fred. He'd said he meant it, though. She thought for a moment and realize she felt the same way. She didn't love Ron- it had always been Fred. Always. She'd just used Ron to get close to his brother. She frowned at how shallow that sounded, but realized it was true. At Hogwarts, she'd disliked Ron, Harry too. She'd always thought that the twins, Fred especially, were different. There was something about him that she'd always liked.
And here she was, years later, engaged to Ron when Fred loved her. She was about to make the worst mistake she could possibly make. Marrying a man she didn't love.
After a few minutes, her father appeared, ready to escort her down the stairs and into the parlor, where the ceremony was being held. After making sure she looked okay, Hermione turned toward her father and nodded, smiling slightly.
~*~
Fred stood off to the side. He was in the wedding party, one of the groomsmen, as were George, Bill and Charlie. He turned toward the door and waited. A moment later he saw Hermione's mother walk in, smiling as tears of happiness pooled in her eyes. Fred's heart fell. Hermione was going to go through with it- she was going to marry Ron even after everything that had happened that day. Harry looked at him questioningly, but shrugged his shoulders after a moment.
"I love you," he whispered softly to himself when the wedding march began to play and Hermione appeared with her father. Fred noticed that she avoided his gaze and looked anywhere but him. He also noticed that her smile was plastered on her face and that her eyes looked sad. He instantly regretted telling her anything- giving her the locket with his feelings written so openly on it.
~*~
When Hermione reached Ron, she took his hand and smiled slightly. She saw Fred out of the corner of her eye and her heart melted. She looked at Ron and back again and frowned. When she looked at Ron she felt friendship, compassion, careful. When she looked at Fred she felt love, honesty and recklessness. She felt desire. That was something she never felt for Ron. She looked at Fred again and saw him staring at her with an expression she couldn't read. His eyes were studying her carefully and Hermione felt her insides flutter.
When the priest asked if she was ready to say her vows, she froze. She looked at Ron and saw concern in his eyes. She closed her own eyes when the priest asked if anyone could think of any reason for them not to marry. She sneaked a peek at Fred, who was just looking at her. He shook his head, signaling that he wasn't going to speak up.
Hermione's eyes widened when no one said anything. Then she did. She didn't even realize it, until the words, "I can't," escaped her lips. She closed her eyes when she heard the gasps of shock that went throughout the room. "Ron, I'm sorry...I can't do this," she shook her head, his hand falling away from hers and to his side. "I...I love someone else," she shrugged, her eyes going past Ron to land on Fred. She smiled sadly at him and turned, picking up the hem of her dress and running.
After she'd changed out of her dress, Hermione quickly packed her things and instead of leaving her room, she apparated to the one place she could think- the library.
"I knew you'd come here," Fred's voice came from a chair in the far corner.
Hermione froze. She looked at him. "Fred...I-"
"Why? Why'd you call it off?"
"You heard me."
"Yeah...but why?" Fred crossed the room and stood in front of her.
"You," Hermione whispered. "You."
"Me? What do I have to do with it, Mione?"
"I love you, not Ron. You."
"You're in love with him?!" Ron's voice came from the doorway. Hermione whirled around and saw Ron, looking glum and upset standing in the doorway.
~*~
Harry sat next to Ginny in the kitchen. The guests had all left- the only ones left were the immediate Weasley family, and Harry.
"I saw this coming, you know," Ginny remarked. "Hermione's letter spoke less and less of Ron and more and more of..." she trailed off.
"Of who?" Harry questioned softly.
"Of..." Ginny hesitated. "Fred." Harry's eyes widened and his thoughts drifted to earlier when he'd interrupted the two in Hermione's room.
"Fred..." Harry said softly.
"She...she loves him," Ginny turned her eyes onto Harry. "More than she ever loved Ron. She's...happy when she talks about him," Ginny shrugged.
"Well..." Harry remarked. "I want Hermione happy, but not at the expense of Ron's feelings."
"Ron...he doesn't love her, either," Ginny replied, standing up.
"What do you mean he doesn't love her either?"
"He...he met someone. While he was visiting Charlie," Ginny remarked. "They've been keeping in touch, owls and whatnot," she shrugged. "Her name's Dahlia."
"And why didn't they call it off before now?" Harry asked. "If they don't love each other?"
"Who knows," Ginny shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."
~*~
"Ron...I'm sorry," Hermione turned toward him. She heard a pop!, and knew that Fred had apparated out of the room.
"No, I am, Herm," he used the name she hated. He knew she hated it, too.
"We...just grew apart," Hermione replied lamely, sitting down.
"Yeah...met other people," Ron continued, as if speaking for her. "Moved on."
"You did too?" Hermione asked, surprised. Ron nodded slowly, sheepishly.
~*~
Fred was in his room, packing. It may be his house, but he needed a vacation. A long, secluded vacation to get over Hermione. If that was possible. He quickly packed his things and wrote a note. No reason not to be courteous. Fred laughed at himself- he had changed so much since school had ended for him. Since opening the joke shop. Since falling for Hermione. He snorted as he remembered her from school- bushy hair, buck-toothed a bit, total bookworm. Now all he saw when he looked at her was beauty, radiance. Happiness.
He looked around his room and apparated to the nearest train station.
~*~
Hermione and Ron had had a long discussion and they'd both met someone else, had fallen in love and had just kept the wedding on because they were worried about hurting the other. Hermione smiled warmly at Ron.
"Friends?" she asked. Ron shook his head.
"Best friends," he hugged her. "Now go find my brother," he rolled his eyes.
"You go get your girl," Hermione remarked, leaving the room and heading toward Fred's room. When she reached his room, she was surprised to find that he was gone. The door to his bureau was open and his things were gone. She frowned when she a note on the bed.
I'm going on a little vacation. I...I can't handle this anymore. I'm taking a train and will send an owl as soon as I reach my destination.
Love, Fred
Hermione panicked. He'd just left. No goodbye. Just saying he couldn't handle...'this' anymore.
"Herm?" she looked to see Harry standing in the doorway.
"He...he left, Harry," Hermione wiped a tear away.
"What? Where? When?"
"He left...he went on vacation." Harry picked up the note and frowned.
"Go to him,"Harry replied. "Go..he's probably still at the train station. Go to him, Herm. He loves you."
Hermione only smiled and nodded before apparating out of the house.
~*~
Fred sat on a bench, waiting for his train. He was going as far away as possible. He didn't know where that was, but he was going. His suitcase sat at his feet, his head in his hands. He'd left her. Left Hermione. She was going to end up with Ron- he knew it. Or she'd change her mind about him. He'd had terrible luck with women and he figured this would be no different- that he'd end up alone.
They called his train and he frowned even more. Standing, he walked to the train and got on, handing his ticket to a tall man in a suit and hat that asked for it. He found a seat near a window and sat.
~*~
Hermione was frantic as she scanned the train station. She looked at a parked train and saw a flash of flaming hair as it sat by the window. Her eyes widened and she apparated closer to the train.
"Fred!" she called as the train started up. "FRED!" she cried, pounding on the side of the train. Her heart leapt in her throat as he turned to look at her, surprise written clearly on his face. "Fred!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. "Wait!" Then the train started moving and Hermione was running along side it. "Fred, please don't go!" she cried, tears trailing down her cheeks.
~*~
Fred stood in surprise when he saw Hermione outside the train.
~*~
Hermione turned around, knowing that people were staring at her, but not caring. "The man I love is on that train," she said softly to anyone who would listen. She heard a pop!, but didn't think anything of it. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Mione." Hermione turned around and gasped. Fred stood behind her, his suitcase in hand. He bent and put his suitcase down before standing before her, a small smile on his face.
"Fred!" she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he picked her up in a giant hug. "I thought you'd left," she whispered, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"I was going to..." Fred remarked.
"Don't ever leave me. Never," Hermione remarked, pulling back long enough to press her lips to his in a passionate kiss.
~*~
Six months later...
"Are you sure you really want to get married?" Harry asked. "You're actually going to go through with it this time?"
"Harry," Hermione sighed. "Of course I am!"
"Good," Ron smiled. "I don't think I can handle going to more than two of your weddings," he winked at her.
"Hermione dear, it's time," her mother poked her head in. "You're sure you want to do this?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course I'm sure!"
"Congratulations, Herm," Harry remarked, kissing her cheek.
"Yeah, congratulations," Ron smiled, hugging her.
Twenty minutes later...
"I introduce you to Mr. And Mrs. Fred Weasley," the minister remarked as Fred kissed his bride passionately. Hermione smiled up at her husband.
"I love you."
"I love you, too," Fred kissed her again.
And...they lived happily ever after.
Authors Note: okay...now that completely sucked...I don't think it makes any sense at all...but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway. Lol. It's completely OOC...but that's how I write so far. Lol. At least for HP. Maybe later, if I get better ideas, I'll re-write the ending, but not anytime soon. Lol. I need an HP muse.
Feedback is greatly appreciated- esp. if you can tell me how to make it better- and not by saying 'kill off...' or something like that. Actual constructiveness is appreciated. Thanks SO Much for all the great feedback- I can't thank you enough!
Jen~
Hermione inwardly cursed Harry for interrupting her and Fred. He'd said he meant it, though. She thought for a moment and realize she felt the same way. She didn't love Ron- it had always been Fred. Always. She'd just used Ron to get close to his brother. She frowned at how shallow that sounded, but realized it was true. At Hogwarts, she'd disliked Ron, Harry too. She'd always thought that the twins, Fred especially, were different. There was something about him that she'd always liked.
And here she was, years later, engaged to Ron when Fred loved her. She was about to make the worst mistake she could possibly make. Marrying a man she didn't love.
After a few minutes, her father appeared, ready to escort her down the stairs and into the parlor, where the ceremony was being held. After making sure she looked okay, Hermione turned toward her father and nodded, smiling slightly.
~*~
Fred stood off to the side. He was in the wedding party, one of the groomsmen, as were George, Bill and Charlie. He turned toward the door and waited. A moment later he saw Hermione's mother walk in, smiling as tears of happiness pooled in her eyes. Fred's heart fell. Hermione was going to go through with it- she was going to marry Ron even after everything that had happened that day. Harry looked at him questioningly, but shrugged his shoulders after a moment.
"I love you," he whispered softly to himself when the wedding march began to play and Hermione appeared with her father. Fred noticed that she avoided his gaze and looked anywhere but him. He also noticed that her smile was plastered on her face and that her eyes looked sad. He instantly regretted telling her anything- giving her the locket with his feelings written so openly on it.
~*~
When Hermione reached Ron, she took his hand and smiled slightly. She saw Fred out of the corner of her eye and her heart melted. She looked at Ron and back again and frowned. When she looked at Ron she felt friendship, compassion, careful. When she looked at Fred she felt love, honesty and recklessness. She felt desire. That was something she never felt for Ron. She looked at Fred again and saw him staring at her with an expression she couldn't read. His eyes were studying her carefully and Hermione felt her insides flutter.
When the priest asked if she was ready to say her vows, she froze. She looked at Ron and saw concern in his eyes. She closed her own eyes when the priest asked if anyone could think of any reason for them not to marry. She sneaked a peek at Fred, who was just looking at her. He shook his head, signaling that he wasn't going to speak up.
Hermione's eyes widened when no one said anything. Then she did. She didn't even realize it, until the words, "I can't," escaped her lips. She closed her eyes when she heard the gasps of shock that went throughout the room. "Ron, I'm sorry...I can't do this," she shook her head, his hand falling away from hers and to his side. "I...I love someone else," she shrugged, her eyes going past Ron to land on Fred. She smiled sadly at him and turned, picking up the hem of her dress and running.
After she'd changed out of her dress, Hermione quickly packed her things and instead of leaving her room, she apparated to the one place she could think- the library.
"I knew you'd come here," Fred's voice came from a chair in the far corner.
Hermione froze. She looked at him. "Fred...I-"
"Why? Why'd you call it off?"
"You heard me."
"Yeah...but why?" Fred crossed the room and stood in front of her.
"You," Hermione whispered. "You."
"Me? What do I have to do with it, Mione?"
"I love you, not Ron. You."
"You're in love with him?!" Ron's voice came from the doorway. Hermione whirled around and saw Ron, looking glum and upset standing in the doorway.
~*~
Harry sat next to Ginny in the kitchen. The guests had all left- the only ones left were the immediate Weasley family, and Harry.
"I saw this coming, you know," Ginny remarked. "Hermione's letter spoke less and less of Ron and more and more of..." she trailed off.
"Of who?" Harry questioned softly.
"Of..." Ginny hesitated. "Fred." Harry's eyes widened and his thoughts drifted to earlier when he'd interrupted the two in Hermione's room.
"Fred..." Harry said softly.
"She...she loves him," Ginny turned her eyes onto Harry. "More than she ever loved Ron. She's...happy when she talks about him," Ginny shrugged.
"Well..." Harry remarked. "I want Hermione happy, but not at the expense of Ron's feelings."
"Ron...he doesn't love her, either," Ginny replied, standing up.
"What do you mean he doesn't love her either?"
"He...he met someone. While he was visiting Charlie," Ginny remarked. "They've been keeping in touch, owls and whatnot," she shrugged. "Her name's Dahlia."
"And why didn't they call it off before now?" Harry asked. "If they don't love each other?"
"Who knows," Ginny shrugged. "I'm just the messenger."
~*~
"Ron...I'm sorry," Hermione turned toward him. She heard a pop!, and knew that Fred had apparated out of the room.
"No, I am, Herm," he used the name she hated. He knew she hated it, too.
"We...just grew apart," Hermione replied lamely, sitting down.
"Yeah...met other people," Ron continued, as if speaking for her. "Moved on."
"You did too?" Hermione asked, surprised. Ron nodded slowly, sheepishly.
~*~
Fred was in his room, packing. It may be his house, but he needed a vacation. A long, secluded vacation to get over Hermione. If that was possible. He quickly packed his things and wrote a note. No reason not to be courteous. Fred laughed at himself- he had changed so much since school had ended for him. Since opening the joke shop. Since falling for Hermione. He snorted as he remembered her from school- bushy hair, buck-toothed a bit, total bookworm. Now all he saw when he looked at her was beauty, radiance. Happiness.
He looked around his room and apparated to the nearest train station.
~*~
Hermione and Ron had had a long discussion and they'd both met someone else, had fallen in love and had just kept the wedding on because they were worried about hurting the other. Hermione smiled warmly at Ron.
"Friends?" she asked. Ron shook his head.
"Best friends," he hugged her. "Now go find my brother," he rolled his eyes.
"You go get your girl," Hermione remarked, leaving the room and heading toward Fred's room. When she reached his room, she was surprised to find that he was gone. The door to his bureau was open and his things were gone. She frowned when she a note on the bed.
I'm going on a little vacation. I...I can't handle this anymore. I'm taking a train and will send an owl as soon as I reach my destination.
Love, Fred
Hermione panicked. He'd just left. No goodbye. Just saying he couldn't handle...'this' anymore.
"Herm?" she looked to see Harry standing in the doorway.
"He...he left, Harry," Hermione wiped a tear away.
"What? Where? When?"
"He left...he went on vacation." Harry picked up the note and frowned.
"Go to him,"Harry replied. "Go..he's probably still at the train station. Go to him, Herm. He loves you."
Hermione only smiled and nodded before apparating out of the house.
~*~
Fred sat on a bench, waiting for his train. He was going as far away as possible. He didn't know where that was, but he was going. His suitcase sat at his feet, his head in his hands. He'd left her. Left Hermione. She was going to end up with Ron- he knew it. Or she'd change her mind about him. He'd had terrible luck with women and he figured this would be no different- that he'd end up alone.
They called his train and he frowned even more. Standing, he walked to the train and got on, handing his ticket to a tall man in a suit and hat that asked for it. He found a seat near a window and sat.
~*~
Hermione was frantic as she scanned the train station. She looked at a parked train and saw a flash of flaming hair as it sat by the window. Her eyes widened and she apparated closer to the train.
"Fred!" she called as the train started up. "FRED!" she cried, pounding on the side of the train. Her heart leapt in her throat as he turned to look at her, surprise written clearly on his face. "Fred!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. "Wait!" Then the train started moving and Hermione was running along side it. "Fred, please don't go!" she cried, tears trailing down her cheeks.
~*~
Fred stood in surprise when he saw Hermione outside the train.
~*~
Hermione turned around, knowing that people were staring at her, but not caring. "The man I love is on that train," she said softly to anyone who would listen. She heard a pop!, but didn't think anything of it. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Mione." Hermione turned around and gasped. Fred stood behind her, his suitcase in hand. He bent and put his suitcase down before standing before her, a small smile on his face.
"Fred!" she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he picked her up in a giant hug. "I thought you'd left," she whispered, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"I was going to..." Fred remarked.
"Don't ever leave me. Never," Hermione remarked, pulling back long enough to press her lips to his in a passionate kiss.
~*~
Six months later...
"Are you sure you really want to get married?" Harry asked. "You're actually going to go through with it this time?"
"Harry," Hermione sighed. "Of course I am!"
"Good," Ron smiled. "I don't think I can handle going to more than two of your weddings," he winked at her.
"Hermione dear, it's time," her mother poked her head in. "You're sure you want to do this?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? Of course I'm sure!"
"Congratulations, Herm," Harry remarked, kissing her cheek.
"Yeah, congratulations," Ron smiled, hugging her.
Twenty minutes later...
"I introduce you to Mr. And Mrs. Fred Weasley," the minister remarked as Fred kissed his bride passionately. Hermione smiled up at her husband.
"I love you."
"I love you, too," Fred kissed her again.
And...they lived happily ever after.
Authors Note: okay...now that completely sucked...I don't think it makes any sense at all...but I'm going to go ahead and post it anyway. Lol. It's completely OOC...but that's how I write so far. Lol. At least for HP. Maybe later, if I get better ideas, I'll re-write the ending, but not anytime soon. Lol. I need an HP muse.
Feedback is greatly appreciated- esp. if you can tell me how to make it better- and not by saying 'kill off...' or something like that. Actual constructiveness is appreciated. Thanks SO Much for all the great feedback- I can't thank you enough!
Jen~