Chapter Six
Steve's Parlor
A/N I have nothing to say about this chapter
Hermione decided to go out for her lunch break. She went to Steve's Parlor, where she and Ron had gone many times before.
When she walked in the door, Steve said, "'Mione! Good ta see ya! Come in, take a seat. I'll be right witchya!"
"It's okay, I'll just sit at the bar."
"Excellent choice, 'Mione, excellent choice."
Hermione took a seat at the bar, and Steve made her a butter beer.
"Fanx," Hermione said with a mouthful of fuzz.
"Yer welcome, 'Mione, always welcome," Steve watched her with dreamy eyes.
"What?" She asked.
"I'm just 'memberin' the ferst time I saw ya! Yer friend Ron was here witchya. I always said dat you two were a cute couple. I always said it, 'Mione, always said it."
"Well, actually, that's what I came here to talk about."
"'bout vat? Ron? Vy do ya wanna talk to me 'bout your hunny?"
"Because I haven't seen him in a while. I mean, I saw him last week at the Leaky Cauldron, and that wasn't even a 'Hi.' He disappeared before I could tell him about his daughter and how much I miss him."
"Vy? Vy haven't ya seen 'im in so long?"
"On my 22nd birthday, he took me out for a fantastic dinner. Then he proposed. But I said 'No.' I mean, I have my whole life in front of me, Steve! I was just getting finished with my seventh book, and for heaven's sake I received a job offer as a Daily Prophet reporter! And I'm taking it! I just-- I just don't know what to do. I-- well, I know what I wanna do! I wanna see him! I wanna talk to him! I miss him too much."
"Well, 'Mione, the only vay I can help ya is this: he comes by dees parts every Wednesday and Saturday. And on Saturday he brings a girl."
"A girl? A--a girl? He brings a girl to the place where we always loved to go? He said that he would only bring someone really special to Steve's Parlor. I--I don't belive it. He's moved on."
"It happens, 'Mione. But he doesn't bring da blonde chick on Wednesdays, so, vy don'tchya come by then? I'm sure he'll talk to ya. He says he kinda misses ya."
"He told you that he misses me?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Well, sure! Vy wouldn't he? He says dat he kinda wishes he still loved ya the way he did before, but after he met Danielle, he just sorta fell in love all over again. 'Cept now it's Danielle. He also says dat yer pertty, well, it's been a year since he's said dat, cuz he met Danielle here last year. Vell, look on the bright side. He wishes he still loved ya."
Hermione sighed, "Great."
"Vat's so great?"
"I was being sarcastic, Steve. I-- I met this guy. He's a sweetie. He's really cute, nice, and he makes me laugh. I haven't laughed for two years until I met Cody. He--he respects me. He makes me feel happy. But, I still love Ron! I blew him off and now I don't have Ron, either. I need a father for my baby girl."
"Vell, how 'bout me?"
"Seriously, Steve, I don't think you could handle it."
"Probly not. Vell, come by Wednesday. Ya got four days ter think 'bout comin over. Ron usually comes by at six, when he gets off of work."
"Ok. Thanks, Steve," Hermione said while leaving some money for her butter beer.
"You're velcome, 'Mione, always velcome."
(Wednesday at 7:00)
Hermione left Kara at Jenni's and went to Steve's Parlor. She saw Ron, thankfully alone, at the bar, talking to Steve.
Steve caught her eye and winked. He purposely cleaned off an area next to Ron and said, "Come on in! Take a seat!"
Hermione walked up with an aching stomach and sat down on a stool next to Ron.
"So, 'Moine, vat can I getchya?"
"A butterbeer's fine. I already ate."
"Vy? Vy'd ya eat and den come to Steve's Parlor?"
"I had to feed Kara before I left her with Jenni and Cody." Hermione looked sideways at Ron who had his back turned. He was drinking from a glass of butterbeer, and trying his hardest to look interested in something else, but his ear jerked with every sound Hermione made. She could tell that he was listening intently.
"So, Ron? Have ya met 'Mione?" Steve asked. "Nevermind! 'Course ya have!" Steve walked away, laughing at his own joke.
Ron finally turned his muscular back and faced Hermione.
"Hullo," he said quietly.
"Hi, Ron."
"So, who's uh-Kara?" He asked.
"My daughter," she paused. "Our daughter."
Ron dropped his glass of butterbeer and it shattered, spraying his feet. He choked and wiped his face with a napkin.
"What do you mean, OUR daughter?"
"Don't you remember? On our date, I started telling you something important, but you got on your knee and didn't let me finish? Well, what I was GOING to say, is that I was two weeks pregnant with our child. And then you ran off, leaving me crying," she stopped. "Twice."
"What does she look like?"
"She looks so much like you, that I cry myself to sleep at night because I am reminded of you."
"How old is she?" Ron asked, still not looking at Hermione directly.
"Two."
"Is she a sweetie?"
"Yes. And I asume that when she gets older, she'll be sarcastic, too." Hermione reached into her purse and took out pictures, handing them to Ron."
"Is that her?" he asked, tracing the face of his waving and laughing daughter.
Hermione was about to say 'yes' in a snotty way, but she saw a tear roll his cheek.
He put his hand to his mouth and whispered, "What have I done?" He dropped the picture onto the bar and started crying.
"Ron!" Hermione whispered, wrapping her arms around him and comforting him. "It's okay, it's okay." Hermione said as she felt like she was rocking a giant baby to sleep.
Just then--
"Ronald Weasley!" A blonde girl that was obviously Danielle walked in and pushed Hermione away from Ron and she fell to the floor.
"What are you doing? You are crying and being hugged by a--another girl! You know that I am sensitive about being cheated on. It's happened to me about a hundred times....!" Danielle went on and on, and Hermione grabbed the picture of Kara and apparated to Jenni's house.
A/N I have nothing to say about this chapter
Hermione decided to go out for her lunch break. She went to Steve's Parlor, where she and Ron had gone many times before.
When she walked in the door, Steve said, "'Mione! Good ta see ya! Come in, take a seat. I'll be right witchya!"
"It's okay, I'll just sit at the bar."
"Excellent choice, 'Mione, excellent choice."
Hermione took a seat at the bar, and Steve made her a butter beer.
"Fanx," Hermione said with a mouthful of fuzz.
"Yer welcome, 'Mione, always welcome," Steve watched her with dreamy eyes.
"What?" She asked.
"I'm just 'memberin' the ferst time I saw ya! Yer friend Ron was here witchya. I always said dat you two were a cute couple. I always said it, 'Mione, always said it."
"Well, actually, that's what I came here to talk about."
"'bout vat? Ron? Vy do ya wanna talk to me 'bout your hunny?"
"Because I haven't seen him in a while. I mean, I saw him last week at the Leaky Cauldron, and that wasn't even a 'Hi.' He disappeared before I could tell him about his daughter and how much I miss him."
"Vy? Vy haven't ya seen 'im in so long?"
"On my 22nd birthday, he took me out for a fantastic dinner. Then he proposed. But I said 'No.' I mean, I have my whole life in front of me, Steve! I was just getting finished with my seventh book, and for heaven's sake I received a job offer as a Daily Prophet reporter! And I'm taking it! I just-- I just don't know what to do. I-- well, I know what I wanna do! I wanna see him! I wanna talk to him! I miss him too much."
"Well, 'Mione, the only vay I can help ya is this: he comes by dees parts every Wednesday and Saturday. And on Saturday he brings a girl."
"A girl? A--a girl? He brings a girl to the place where we always loved to go? He said that he would only bring someone really special to Steve's Parlor. I--I don't belive it. He's moved on."
"It happens, 'Mione. But he doesn't bring da blonde chick on Wednesdays, so, vy don'tchya come by then? I'm sure he'll talk to ya. He says he kinda misses ya."
"He told you that he misses me?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"Well, sure! Vy wouldn't he? He says dat he kinda wishes he still loved ya the way he did before, but after he met Danielle, he just sorta fell in love all over again. 'Cept now it's Danielle. He also says dat yer pertty, well, it's been a year since he's said dat, cuz he met Danielle here last year. Vell, look on the bright side. He wishes he still loved ya."
Hermione sighed, "Great."
"Vat's so great?"
"I was being sarcastic, Steve. I-- I met this guy. He's a sweetie. He's really cute, nice, and he makes me laugh. I haven't laughed for two years until I met Cody. He--he respects me. He makes me feel happy. But, I still love Ron! I blew him off and now I don't have Ron, either. I need a father for my baby girl."
"Vell, how 'bout me?"
"Seriously, Steve, I don't think you could handle it."
"Probly not. Vell, come by Wednesday. Ya got four days ter think 'bout comin over. Ron usually comes by at six, when he gets off of work."
"Ok. Thanks, Steve," Hermione said while leaving some money for her butter beer.
"You're velcome, 'Mione, always velcome."
(Wednesday at 7:00)
Hermione left Kara at Jenni's and went to Steve's Parlor. She saw Ron, thankfully alone, at the bar, talking to Steve.
Steve caught her eye and winked. He purposely cleaned off an area next to Ron and said, "Come on in! Take a seat!"
Hermione walked up with an aching stomach and sat down on a stool next to Ron.
"So, 'Moine, vat can I getchya?"
"A butterbeer's fine. I already ate."
"Vy? Vy'd ya eat and den come to Steve's Parlor?"
"I had to feed Kara before I left her with Jenni and Cody." Hermione looked sideways at Ron who had his back turned. He was drinking from a glass of butterbeer, and trying his hardest to look interested in something else, but his ear jerked with every sound Hermione made. She could tell that he was listening intently.
"So, Ron? Have ya met 'Mione?" Steve asked. "Nevermind! 'Course ya have!" Steve walked away, laughing at his own joke.
Ron finally turned his muscular back and faced Hermione.
"Hullo," he said quietly.
"Hi, Ron."
"So, who's uh-Kara?" He asked.
"My daughter," she paused. "Our daughter."
Ron dropped his glass of butterbeer and it shattered, spraying his feet. He choked and wiped his face with a napkin.
"What do you mean, OUR daughter?"
"Don't you remember? On our date, I started telling you something important, but you got on your knee and didn't let me finish? Well, what I was GOING to say, is that I was two weeks pregnant with our child. And then you ran off, leaving me crying," she stopped. "Twice."
"What does she look like?"
"She looks so much like you, that I cry myself to sleep at night because I am reminded of you."
"How old is she?" Ron asked, still not looking at Hermione directly.
"Two."
"Is she a sweetie?"
"Yes. And I asume that when she gets older, she'll be sarcastic, too." Hermione reached into her purse and took out pictures, handing them to Ron."
"Is that her?" he asked, tracing the face of his waving and laughing daughter.
Hermione was about to say 'yes' in a snotty way, but she saw a tear roll his cheek.
He put his hand to his mouth and whispered, "What have I done?" He dropped the picture onto the bar and started crying.
"Ron!" Hermione whispered, wrapping her arms around him and comforting him. "It's okay, it's okay." Hermione said as she felt like she was rocking a giant baby to sleep.
Just then--
"Ronald Weasley!" A blonde girl that was obviously Danielle walked in and pushed Hermione away from Ron and she fell to the floor.
"What are you doing? You are crying and being hugged by a--another girl! You know that I am sensitive about being cheated on. It's happened to me about a hundred times....!" Danielle went on and on, and Hermione grabbed the picture of Kara and apparated to Jenni's house.