Love Will Find A Way

~Chapter III~

-dutchtulips-

~*~

"I thought Daniel was supposed to meet us back at Hogwarts," Ron said to Hermione the next afternoon at the Three Broomsticks, as they sat around bottles of butterbeer. "Where is he?"

"I got his owl saying that he's running late today. Had some last minute things to do at the Ministry," she answered, shifting in her chair.

"So he works at the Ministry?" Harry asked, taking a swig out of his bottle of butterbeer. "You didn't mention that."

"Didn't I?" Hermione replied, distracted. She was feeling very comfortable talking about Daniel with them. Ron had already been clear about his feelings to her, and she was pretty sure Harry wasn't exactly preparing to give the bride away, either.

"What's his job there?" Ron wanted to know.

"Well. . .uh, ask him yourself. Here he comes," Hermione stammered. She slowly rose to greet Daniel.

A moment later, a blonde wizard wearing lackluster green robes appeared at their table. "Hermione," he said, smiling. He leaned forward and kissed her and then sat down.

"Uh, Daniel, there are my friends - Ron Weasley and Harry Potter," Hermione introduced. They both nodded their heads in acknowledgement at him.

"Are you really?" Daniel asked, shaking Harry's hand. "Pleasure." Turning to Ron, he said, "Nice to meet you, Ron." They shook hands as well. "How long have you three known each other?"

Ron leaned back in his chair, sharply popping the cap off a butterbeer. "Since first year at Hogwarts."

"Really? That long? You never mentioned them before, Herm," Daniel said, turning towards her.

"Well, uh. . .it's been awhile. We've only got together for the first time in five years," she mumbled.

"We're on a small vacation, up here visiting Hermione. We're Aurors," Harry supplied.

Daniel looked impressed. "You two seen a lot of action?"

"Just the usual," Ron said simply. "And we get shipped around a lot, which is actually the great part of it. We've been just about all over Europe."

"Yeah?" Daniel was interested. "I'd sure go for a chance like that."

"Hermione tells us you work in the Ministry," Harry commented.

"Specialty tactics and such," he answered. "Maintaining peace and stability - protection, things like that."

Harry and Ron nodded curtly. A small silence passed, then Ron spoke. "So 'Mione says you two are getting married on Sunday."

Hermione shot a glance at him, and to her surprise, he had been looking at her when he said it. She blinked a few times, unable to break away from his piercing eyes.

Daniel's arm suddenly went around her. "Yeah. We've been together since Goldthwaite's. Herm and me have been planning this for time now."

"I can't imagine our little 'Mione getting married. Seems only yesterday the three of us were Hogwarts students and brewing up that Polyjuice potion," Ron said.

She continued to stare. What is he doing? Hermione wondered to herself.

Daniel's voice cut into her thoughts. "Herm? Did you invite Ron and Harry here to the wedding?"

She jolted from staring at Ron and said, "I - er, hadn't made much of a mention about it. . ."

"Well, consider it done!" Daniel exclaimed. "You two are Herm's best friends. Why don't you come, see her get hitched?"

Hermione refused to look at them.

~*~

The hike back from Hogsmeade was quiet. Daniel had gotten a call, and had to rush back to the Ministry and wasn't with them. Hermione didn't feel much like talking, though she wondered what was on Harry and Ron's minds.

"I noticed you didn't give Daniel a definite answer," Hermione said softly, breaking the silence. "Are you going to attend, or. . .not?"

"I reckon I don't see why not," Harry smiled benevolently. "After all, a girl only gets married once, right?" There was an oddness in his voice when he said it.

Hermione had a good idea why but decided to ignore it. "What about you, Ron?" She asked as they neared the Hogwarts gate.

He didn't answer; just held her back from going through the gate with Harry. When he noticed they weren't following, Harry turned around and asked, "Aren't you two coming inside?"

"Go ahead," Ron replied. "We'll be right there."

Once he had gone, Hermione just stared up at Ron.

" 'Mione, are you sure about Daniel?" He asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She responded, trying to pretend she didn't already know.

"He just doesn't seem like the right person for you," he said quietly. "He seems more set on just getting married than who it is he's marrying."

"Who is the right person for me, then?" Hermione exclaimed, then wanted to smack herself for asking the obvious.

"Me," Ron whispered. "I love you, 'Mione. You know I do. I've known you longer than anybody. We've been friends since forever. I love you."

She leaned heavily on the gate, contemplating what he'd said. "Please, Ron, don't. . .not now. . .I can't take this. . ." she pleaded.

"Daniel's just not right for you, 'Mione. He seems kind of selfish to me, and you don't want someone like that. How do you know he even loves you? He really only seems content upon himself. I mean -"

Hermione cut him off. "Look, Ron. I never wanted to break your heart. It's just too late. It's all in the past for me. You may not like Daniel, but I love him and I'm marrying him." She felt the sobs starting and broke away up to the castle.

~*~

The next day was Friday, and Hermione was becoming even more nervous as the wedding approached. Often she would find herself wondering if she were doing the right thing, but then stopped herself. Once you get married to Daniel, all of this madness will stop, Hermione kept telling herself.

She also spoke to Ron a little less now, scared and unsure about what he was going to do. Usually he'd be thrashing about like a tornado. I wonder why he's so laid back about Daniel and I. I mean, look at how he acted over Viktor Krum. . .

Perhaps it's because he's gotten older. Ron's not a kid anymore, surely he's learned to control his feelings now. Or maybe it's because of something else. Something maybe I haven't considered. . .

"But what could it be?" Hermione said aloud, interrupting herself from grading homework, during afternoon break. "What could Ron be hiding?"

But she merely shrugged it off, it seemingly only in her imagination that Ron was up to something, and gathered up her work. Hermione got up and headed for her quarters, planning to put the homework in her room to grade later in the evening.

When she got there, Hermione was surprised to see Keppler, her owl, sitting on the windowsill. Taken aback, she let the stack drop on her desk with a loud smack and started towards the window.

"Keppler? What are you doing here, you crazy bird?" She said, half smiled, half astonished. Hermione reached out to him to take him down to the aviary, but as she did so, Keppler extended his leg.

Her brow furrowed. "A letter? For me? Who could it be from?" Hermione muttered, taking the note. She hastily unrolled it and let her eyes skim down the piece of parchment.

"What. . ?" She whispered, a crestfallen look overtaking her face.

~*~

At the evening meal, Hermione was somewhat withdrawn from the dinnertime conversation. Harry and Ron were chatting attentively with one another, but Hermione sat quietly and ate wordlessly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell them her news or not.

"Hey Hermione, you okay? You've been pretty quiet," Harry noted.

"Well, I - uh, got a letter from Daniel today."

Ron shot a glance at her.

She continued. "There's no - wedding to go to on Sunday anymore."

Harry's eyebrows drew together in puzzlement. "What?" Ron just continued to stare at her, wordlessly.

"Daniel couldn't get his vacation pass, so. . .we're eloping," Hermione answered. "Sunday afternoon we're going to meet at the Three Broomsticks and then we're going to London to get married there."

A moment of silence passed. "Well, er, that's too bad you can't have a better wedding, Hermione," Harry replied.

"No. It's doesn't matter. I want to get married. I don't mind eloping." Hermione pushed away her plate. "I'm going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy my wedding dress robes. Is there anything you're wanting to get there? Because if you do, you can come with me."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, something unspoken passing between them. Finally Harry looked back at Hermione and said, "Sure, Herm. We'll come with you. We wouldn't want you to go alone."

~*~

It was mid-afternoon when they got back from Diagon Alley the next day. Hermione had taken her wedding dress robes up to her room and was just unwrapping and laying them out for the next day when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called, preoccupied with what she was doing.

"Hey 'Mione."

She whirled around to see Ron standing just inside the doorway, watching her. "Oh, hi, Ron." Hermione, now flustered, hastily turned back to the robes and started to fiddle with them, doing anything to keep from looking at him.

Without a word, Ron walked right up to her and put his hand on one of hers, causing the wedding dress robes to fall from her hands and tumble onto her four-poster. Hermione could feel his eyes boring into her.

Finally she looked up at him. "What?" she whispered.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Ron asked her.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione inquired.

"Don't be coy, 'Mione. You know what I mean. About eloping to London with Daniel. Is that what you really want? To elope? The Hermione I know is more traditional than that. She doesn't just rush into things."

"Perhaps I've changed, Ron?" She replied sarcastically, trying to retreat to the other side of the room.

Ron's grip on her was strong. "No you haven't. You're still the same old 'Mione I've known since Hogwarts. You're still my best friend."

Hermione looked hard at him as he spoke.

"You say you love Daniel. All right. You say you want to marry him. All right. But lately, you know, since Harry and I have been here, it seems you've been making a lot of hasty decisions. Hermione Granger is thoughtful and smart - when did she ever throw herself headfirst into things like this? I'll tell you when - never," Ron proclaimed. "I'm just saying that maybe you should rethink your priorities. Maybe you'll arrive at the same conclusion as now. Maybe not. Either way, at least you'll know. I just - I just don't want you to make a hasty decision that you'll be sorry for later."

She stood there, looking at him, taking in all of what he had said. Ron's right, Hermione thought. Ever since he's shown up I've been impulsive in everything I've had to face lately. About Daniel. I've been hasty about he and our future. The truth is. . .I don't think we have one. Maybe I've been fooling myself into thinking we do.

But Daniel seems to think so. He seems to really want to get married. He seems to really want to get married. . .

". . .But to me?" Hermione suddenly whispered, eyebrows drawn together in query and thought.

Ron just looked back at her, surprisingly without a question in his eyes. He just continued to hold her hand as she stood there lost in thought. After a moment, he gently clutched Hermione's shoulder and gently shook. "Her, 'Mione? You awake?"

"Yeah. . .yeah. . .I'm. . .fine," she answered, breaking out of her reverie. She blinked and shook her head. She glanced at her watch and said, "Oh, hey Ron, it's almost time for the evening meal. We should meeting Harry down there."

"All right," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. "Let's go then."

Hermione, distracted with her thoughts, having been jarred by Ron's words, hadn't even noticed that he had held her hand the entire way down to the Great Hall.

~*~

to be continued

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what will happen next? only I know! BWHAHAHA! please review!!

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