Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I've enjoyed reading them all.
Even with my computer (which is still driving me crazy!) I managed to get this chapter finished. Read and enjoy!
CHAPTER NINE: THE INEVITABLE
Ron was already in a foul mood when he walked into The Burrow that morning and it only got worse when he spotted his sister in the kitchen talking to a couple of her friends. Without so much as a hello, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the hallway, ignoring the looks her friends were giving him.
"Ron, what is your problem?" She all but screamed at him. "You can't just walk in here and pull me away from my friends anytime you bloody well please,"
"Watch your language," he growled, releasing her. "I wouldn't have had to do that if you had just minded your own damn business. I've got enough going on right now with the wedding, and now Harry's going through some early-life crisis,"
"What are you on about?"
"He's gotten it in his head that he doesn't need to be a hero anymore, thanks to you,"
"Ron, all I did was give him some advice," Ginny said in her defense.
"You had no right to say anything to him. He's quitting the ministry, did you know that?"
Ginny's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes, really. And I don't know why you're so happy about it. He's giving up everything because of what you said to him,"
"No, he's not," she said, shaking her head. "He's getting everything he never had because he was always too busy saving the world. I would have thought that as his best friend you would be happy for him,"
"Maybe I would be if this was something he'd wanted all along. I didn't even know what he was planning until last night,"
"That's because you're just like everyone else, Ron," she accused. "You expect Harry to be the world's savior, because that's how you've always seen him. Harry's life was decided for him when he was a baby. He never had a normal childhood. I don't think he even knew what it was like to be a teenager because there was always You-Know-Who or some other danger lurking nearby. He's done what everyone's asked of him a million times over. It's time he was allowed to break away from it, and just be Harry,"
"You think I don't want my best friend to be happy?" Ron fumed. "But changing who he is isn't going to make him happy, Gin,"
"I think you'd be surprised,"
"I think you better stay out of it and leave Harry the hell alone,"
"Ron – "
"I mean it, Gin. You had no right to interfere. Where do you get off telling Harry how to live his life when you haven't even been a part of it for three years? You may think you're doing him a favour, but all you're going to end up doing is making him miserable,"
He left after that. He would have thought he'd have felt better after putting his sister in her place, but he didn't. It may have had something to do with anxiety he was feeling towards the wedding rehearsal that night.
If he thought he was nervous that morning, he was a wreck by the time it came for him to go down to the hall where the wedding rehearsal would be held.
He could barely even make eye contact with Hermione, or start up a conversation with her. She seemed to pick up on this and kept her distance from him. That was fine with Ron. He was starting to think that what Harry said was true, and as long as he stayed away from Hermione, he would realize that Gillian was the one he wanted to be with.
The wizard, who had designated himself the 'choreographer' for the wedding, had shown those involved in the wedding party at what point they should walk in, and where they should stand throughout the ceremony. It was all going quite well until Gillian's cell phone rang.
For all her prejudices against muggles, she carried one of their most valued inventions around with her at all times. Her excuse being it allowed The Prophet to get in touch with her much easier this way, especially if they needed her immediately.
She looked apologetically at Ron. "I told them not to call me, so it must be urgent,"
She walked away from the crowd of people to talk to the person at the other end. When she came back, she looked as panicked as Ron felt.
"I have to go," she told him. "The person who was supposed to work the late shift tonight, called in sick, and now there's no one to edit the articles before they get published at midnight tonight,"
"There must be someone there who can do it,"
Ron found it hard to believe that at a paper like the Daily Prophet, Gillian was the only qualified person who could correct some grammar and spelling errors and publish a paper.
"I'm sorry, Ron, but there's no one there qualified enough to do it. Anyone else who could is on vacation right now. I'll make it up to you, I promise,"
She hurried out of the hall, but not before apologizing to everyone that she needed to go back to work, because there was a crisis in progress there. And so Ron was left alone standing at the pretend altar that had been created.
"Is that it?" Harry asked, from his best man spot beside him.
"I guess," Ron answered. He was more than a little angry that she couldn't have waited ten more minutes before heading back to work. "The only part that's left involves the bride and groom, so there's really no point in continuing without a bride,"
"You've got a pretty good bride right here," Ginny said, coming over to them and bringing Hermione with her.
Harry and Ron just stared at her.
"Hermione could take Gillian's spot." She said it as if it were the most obvious answer.
"That's not a good idea," Hermione and Ron said simultaneously.
"Considering Hermione's the only one here who's not directly related to you, I'd say it's the only idea. Unless you want the money mom and dad put into renting this place go to nothing,"
Ron knew what Ginny was playing at. She was trying to get him back for that morning. All he could do was glare at her, because his parents came over, having overheard his sister's suggestion, and neither he nor Hermione had the heart to tell him they didn't want to do it.
Everyone took their places once more, the only difference being Hermione was standing with Ron at the front now.
"I'm really sorry about this," he whispered to her, so only she would hear.
"It's okay," she replied back.
The minister who would be performing the ceremony took them through it step by step, until they reached the part where the minister said, "you may kiss the bride,"
There. That wasn't so bad, Hermione thought to herself. She looked up at Ron, expecting to see the same relief on his face, but all she saw were a pair of lips lowering down to meet her own. She wasn't sure what made her do it – whether it was because it was so unexpected or because she had waited a lifetime for this moment – but she let him kiss her. It was wonderful. It was hard to believe she had almost forgotten what a good kisser he was. When he pulled back, she was almost disappointed. That was until the full realization of what had happened struck her.
Ron tried speaking to her, but she didn't see to hear him.
She needed to get out of there.
And as Ron's family started to swarm around him, she took the opportunity to exit. She ran out of the building and never looked back.
When Ron had finally managed to break away from the people surrounding him, Hermione was long gone. He found a man walking on the street, and after giving him a fairly detailed description of Hermione, had figured out which way she had gone and started running again.
For someone in heels, she sure had gained a considerable amount of distance in that short span of time. It was fortunate for him that she hadn't just apparated out of sight.
When he finally caught sight of her and called out her name, she didn't stop. Seeing as he had the advantage of better footwear then her, it didn't take him long to catch up with her.
"Hermione, stop running, please,"
He had to grab her arm to get her to stop and look at him.
"Do you know how hard a time I had catching up to you?"
"This isn't a joke, Ron," she replied angrily and pulled her arm out of his grasp.
"No, it's not. So why don't you tell me why you ran out on me back there?"
"You already know why," she said, and started walking again.
"No, I don't," he said, matching her pace to keep up with her. "Half the time I don't even know why you do the things you do,"
She stopped walking and looked at him. "That makes two of us,"
"Why don't you make this a lot easier for the both of us and admit you ran out here because I kissed you,"
"That's exactly why. Because it was completely inappropriate and – "
"You liked it,"
Her response took several seconds too long. "I did not,"
"You don't kiss somebody back like that unless you like it," he said to her. "You can lie to yourself all you want, but you can't lie to me. I've known you too long, Hermione. You're so smart, but you have this habit of missing what's right in front of your face,"
"If you chased me down so you could insult me, I'd rather we did it another time when I felt like insulting you back,"
She started walking away again.
"I'm still in love with you,"
He wasn't sure he had spoken the words aloud until he saw her stop dead in her tracks.
"You expect me to believe that?" She questioned him.
That was the last response he had been expecting.
"You're getting married Ron. In less than a week. You were engaged for months before that, and now you're standing here telling me you love me? How am I supposed to believe that?"
"Because it's the truth." That was all he could think of to say. "You asked me a while back, why I had left so many things to the last minute. I didn't know then, but now I know it was because a part of me was still hoping that you would give me a second chance. Not a day has gone by where I haven't hated myself for what I did to you. I was seventeen and young and stupid, and I didn't realize the best thing that had ever happened to me was falling in love with my best friend. I took you for granted and I've paid for that every day since,"
"Ron, that was a long time ago," she said softly. "People move on,"
"Have you?"
"Yes,"
She was lying. "Then when was the last time you had a serious relationship? Or even a boyfriend?"
The softness in her voice was gone now, replaced by a thick iciness. "My private life is none of your business,"
He was fed up. "I'm sick of this game, Hermione. We wasted five years at Hogwarts because we were too scared to take the next step. We've wasted even more time since then. I've told you how I feel, now it's up to you. If you tell me you're over me, I'll believe you and this will never happen again,"
She was ready to tell him then that the two of them together would never happen again. As much as she wanted to tell him she had moved on with her life, an even bigger part of her wanted to tell him the truth.
"I love you, Ron,"
Even though he had known that would be her answer, it was quite a shock to hear her admit it. It was all he could do to restrain himself from scooping her up in his arms like he had wanted to do that day in the dress shop. His joy was short lived, though.
"Does that really change anything?" She asked him. "You're practically married, Ron. You wouldn't have gone this far with the wedding if you didn't feel something for Gillian. I can't ask you to just forget her, because I know you wouldn't ask that of me if our situations were reversed,"
Why did she always have to be so damn logical? "What am I supposed to do?" He asked her.
"I don't know,"
It was the first time in his life he had asked Hermione a question she didn't know the answer to.
"I should go," she said quietly.
He wanted to stop her. But when he opened his mouth to speak he had no idea what to say. He couldn't just watch her leave either. He apparated long before she was out of his line of vision.
To Ron, it felt like Hogwarts all over again. He'd had her and then lost her.