Love Will Find A Way
~Chapter II~
-dutchtulips-
~*~
Wednesday after classes, Hermione invited Harry and Ron put to her room so they could talk. Harry sat down in Hermione's desk chair and looked around as Hermione sat at the window and Ron perched on her four-poster.
"I feel weird being here again. I mean, it was always a second home to me. Well, actually first if you want to be technical," Harry laughed.
"It's really a wonderful place," Hermione smiled. "We've had a lot of good, and bad, times together, us three." Her voice dropped lower. "I'm glad you two came back. I never thought you would. . ."
There was a pregnant silence.
"How could we not?" Ron whispered. "I mean, we're best friends. We can't just part ways and that be the end of it. We've been through so many things together."
Another silence.
"Well, anyways, how have your lives been outside of work? Any social life? Or what fragments of one you may have?" Hermione teased.
"Harry has some news," Ron piped up.
She looked over at him. "Really? What's up?"
"I, uh, I'm. . ." Harry stammered.
". . .Engaged," Ron supplied.
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "Really? You, Harry, engaged? Who is she?"
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. "It's, uh. . .well, uh. . ."
"Ginny!" Ron blurted out.
"Yeah, she and I have been together for such awhile. . .so I decided. . ." Harry mumbled.
Hermione broke out into a big grin. "Harry Potter engaged to Ginny Weasley. . .looks like you're going to have a brother-in-law, Ron."
Ron just smiled. "I know."
Hermione stood. "It's almost time for the evening feast. Why don't we head on down to the Great Hall? We can sit together at the Gryffindor table, just like old times. I'm sure it'll be all right."
"That'd be great! How 'bout it, Ron?" Harry asked.
"You bet," he smiled.
~*~
It was a few nights later and the three of them were heading upstairs after the evening feast. They'd stayed around awhile to talk to the professors, and by the time they had departed, it was late.
Hermione yawned as she, Harry, and Ron headed up the stairs to the their rooms. When she'd reached her quarters, she turned to say good-night to her friends.
"Well, I think I'm going to get to bed. 'Night, Harry, Ron."
"Wait, 'Mione, can I talk to you for a minute alone first?" Ron asked.
"Uh, er, all right. Come into my room with me, then," Hermione replied, and the two of them disappeared into her quarters.
Once inside, Hermione sat down in her desk chair and looked at him. "So. . .what's up?"
"It's just, uh. . .your letter," he replied.
"My letter? What about it?" She inquired, puzzled.
"I just couldn't believe it after all this time, I suppose." Ron sat down on Hermione's four-poster. "I guess maybe it's because. . .well, I'd been thinking about you constantly, 'Mione."
"You - you were?"
"Yes. I had been wondering about you. What you might be doing, where you were. And, you know, about the past. When I received you letter, I jumped at the chance to see you again. And when I got here and stepped into your classroom and saw you there, well. . ."
"Wh - what are you trying to say?" Hermione asked, her voice quivering.
He leaned forward and took her hand. "I saw it, 'Mione. When I walked in and you looked up at me, I saw it - in your eyes."
"Wh - what are you talking about?" She said, trying to avoid the subject.
"You never told me and I never told you. We made a mistake, 'Mione. Those last three years here at Hogwarts. . .we knew we were in love with each other, but we were too afraid to tell one another," Ron said to her.
"And it's still there. You know you felt it, just as I did, when we looked into each other's eyes for the first time in five years."
"You - loved me, Ron? And you still love me?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," he whispered. "And we've got a second whim. We made the mistake once. Let's not do it again." He inched closer, kneeling down in front of her chair.
"Ron. . ." She said tearfully. "There's something I -"
Before she could get the words out, he kissed her. Hermione felt Ron holding her face in his hands as he deepened their kiss, pulling her close to him. Although a few tears were splashing down her cheeks, Hermione, before she could stop herself, kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"No. . .no," she whispered, breaking away. "I - I can't now. . . I - just need - some sleep, Ron. I'll see you at breakfast, okay?"
He looked at her for a few moments. "Yeah, sure. . . are you all right?"
"I'll talk to you about it later," she replied.
"Tomorrow then," Ron smiled, and then departed.
Once Hermione was sure he was gone, she fell on her bed and let herself cry. What am I doing? I'm engaged to be married! I'm not in love with Ron anymore. That was a long time ago. You're just happy to see him. You didn't kiss him back. . .you didn't. . .you love Daniel. Ron is just your best friend. That's all he'll ever be. It's Daniel you're going to marry. It's Daniel you love.
You can't be letting yourself alone with Ron. You've got to get the past out of your head. You were in love with Ron when you were younger. That's done now. You're going to marry Daniel next week, you're going to love him, and everything's going to be fine.
"But I did," Hermione sobbed to herself. "I did kiss Ron back. He is just more than a friend. I do love him. . .no, no you don't! Get it out of your head! You're getting married to Daniel, okay? You're in love with him!"
~*~
During afternoon break the next day, Hermione abandoned her work and went down to the Great Hall to relax before her last class. Harry was there, sitting at the Gryffindor's table reading the day's issue of the Daily Prophet.
"Oh, Harry, thank goodness you're alone," she breathed, sitting down next from him.
He looked up. "Why? What's wrong? Did you and Ron get into an argument or something?"
"Quite the contrary!" Hermione exclaimed. She stared down at her hands. "Uh, er. . . did, um, did Ron ever say anything to you about - about, well, me. . .very, er, much since I sent that letter?"
"Like what?" Harry wanted to know.
"About, well. . .being in. . .uh. . .with me. . .being in - in. . ." She stammered, unable to say the words.
He seemed to understand. "Being in love with you?"
"Yes!" Hermione interjected. "Yes, yes. . . well, did he?"
"Well, yeah. But, I sort of could already tell, you know." Harry paused, and then a puzzled look crossed his face. "Hermione. . .did something happen that evening when you and Ron talked alone?"
"He told me. . .he was in love with me. In love with me then - and in love with me now. He said we both knew then. . .and that. . .we've gotten a second chance this time around," she replied. "And - and he kissed me."
Harry stared. "What. . . you - you don't love him?"
"I'm engaged, Harry. Engaged to be married. To someone else," Hermione blabbered, then started to cry again. "I don't know what to do!"
Harry put his arm around her to comfort her. "Hey, it's okay, Herm. Everything's going to be all right. Just take a deep breath and talk to me. Okay?" He said gently.
Hermione nodded slowly and sniffled. Wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her robes, she put down her hands and started to wring them in her lap. "After fourth year, I knew I was in love with Ron, but I was too shy to tell him. And I let us part ways without him ever knowing the truth. Eventually I just started to forget it all and move on with my studies and such.
So I - I, when I was at Goldthwaite's, I met Daniel - my fiancé. During our last year, we began dating - and before I knew it, he had asked me to marry him."
Harry interjected. "Do you, well, I don't want to be rude. . ."
"No, it's all right. Go ahead," Hermione deferred to him. She took out a handkerchief and blew her nose.
"Are you in love with Daniel?" He asked slowly.
Hermione sighed dejectedly. "Ever since Ron's come back into my life. . .I just don't know anything anymore. I find I can barely keep my mind on teaching the students, even. And I don't even know about my feelings for Daniel anymore."
"You know why, Herm. You're still in love with Ron, aren't you?" Harry asked gently.
"I don't know that, either. But he loves me. And he doesn't know about Daniel. I know I have to tell him. But. . .I just can't do it. I can't get the words out."
Harry slipped his arm away from Hermione and picked up the Daily Prophet again. "I'd suggest, Hermione, that you might want to see Daniel again so you can get your feelings straightened out. When are you two planning to marry?"
"Sunday."
Harry shot her a look. "This Sunday? As in, the Sunday that is in five days?"
"Yes," she said in a very small voice. Pause. "Daniel sent me an owl the other day to stay he's going to be in Diagon Alley to make a withdrawal from Gringotts. So he's coming by Hogwarts to spend time with me before Sunday."
"When?" Harry inquired.
"Tomorrow," Hermione replied in an even smaller voice. She looked up at her friend. "You've got to help me, Harry. You've got to help me figure out what to do!"
"Herm. . .I can't. I wish I could, but you've got a problem in which the answer doesn't come from a book. It comes from your heart," he said softly. "The decision is yours alone. It's buried deep down within. And I promise you that you will find it."
~*~
"Ron?" Hermione said softly, tapping on the door of he and Harry's quarters. It was later that evening and, having decided that she needed to tell Ron about Daniel, Hermione had dropped by to talk.
The door was opened briskly. " 'Mione." Ron hand his hand quickly through his shaggy-ish red hair.
"C-can I come in?" She stammered.
"Sure," he replied, waving her in. "Pull up a four-poster and sit down."
Hermione hesitantly sat. "I have something I need to tell you."
Tidying up, Ron waved his wand at a disheveled heap of clothes and they instantly folded themselves. He sat down next to her. "What is it?" He reached for her hand.
"Ron - you and I. . .well. . ." She sniffled, feeling the tears coming on again. "We - we can't, you see?"
He tried to lock eyes with Hermione, who was turned away from him. "What are you trying to say, 'Mione?"
"Be together! We can't!" She exclaimed.
Ron raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
"Ron - I'm. . .I'm. . .well, I should've told you earlier, but. . .well, you see. . .other things have happened besides what I've already told you since our last letters."
"Like what?" He asked slowly.
Hermione sucked back a sob. "I'm - engaged."
Ron instantly let go of her as if she'd caught fire. "Wh-what?"
She managed to look up at him. "I'm sorry. . . it's just, well. . .I did love you, Ron, back when we were young, I'll concede. . .but - those days are over."
Ron, eyes widened, rose slowly and started to pace.
"I didn't want to tell you. The last thing I ever wanted to do was break your heart, Ron. . ." Hermione said softly.
He stopped. "What's his name?"
"D-Daniel. I met him back at Goldthwaite's."
"When are you getting married?"
Hermione shook her head and stared down at her hands. "I. . ."
"Just tell me, 'Mione." Ron whispered.
"Sunday."
There was a very long pause. Finally, Ron spoke, but made no mention of Daniel or Hermione's engagement. "How 'bout you, me and Harry hike up to Hogsmeade tomorrow? Just us three, spend some time together, go into the Three Broomsticks and have a butterbeer. Like old times."
She looked up at him, her face tear-stained. "Well, er. . .Daniel's supposed to visit tomorrow. He'll be coming in by midday."
"Well, bring him along, then. I'd like to meet the bloke," Ron said simply. "C'mon, 'Mione. You could use a little R and R from Hogwarts."
"A-All right," she agreed, standing up. "After classes?"
"Sure. Me and Harry'll meet you and Daniel in the Great Hall."
I can't believe how nonchalant he's being about this, Hermione thought to herself. She started for the door. "It's getting a little late. I've got some essays to grade. S-See you tomorrow."
"You bet."
Right before departing, Hermione turned back to Ron, who was leaning against the bedpost, watching her leave. "Ron. . .I'm sorry," she whispered, looking into his eyes. Then she turned and walked out.
~*~
to be continued
~*~
a small note from DT. . . .
oh, come on. . .an off her nut R/Hr shipper like me ending it like that? NO WAY!!! I'd tell you more, but you're going have to wait and find out what happens between our adorable duo. . . ©
~*~