Title: Letter to Hermione

Author: Audrey (booksmartbrilliance@yahoo.com)

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: Ron's forced to come to terms with his feelings at the news of Hermione's engagement. Can he talk her out of marrying someone else? Can he talk her into marrying him instead?

A/N: A short little chappie before I go out of town this weekend. Slightly odd. :) Wow, this fic is becoming much longer than the one shot fic I thought it was initially.

Thanks to hazy afterglow for much needed support on this chapter...you ROX!

And Centaur30, thank you for the insightful review. Those were my thoughts exactly!

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Four months later...

* * * * *

Hermione peeked out from behind the massive wooden church doors into the packed sanctuary. Her heart speeded up at the sight of all the guests. There must have been over 400 witches and wizards crammed into the beautiful church. Her eyes traveled over the noisy spectators to where a nervous looking Andrew and the minister stood at the front.

"You look beautiful, Hermione," said a voice causing her to spin around, the flowing white fabric of her dress rustling in the stillness of the hallway. She was unable to speak for a moment, she was completely overcome with an unexplainable happiness.

"Harry?" she breathed, wanting to cry from sheer joy. She couldn't explain why she felt so happy to see him standing there with his unmanageable hair, bright eyes and familiar smile. "What are you doing here?"

He grinned at her, "You didn't think I'd miss your wedding, did you?"

"No, but..." there was something odd about him being there but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Where's Ron?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well...he's not coming," she said frowning.

"Why not?" He asked looking right through her. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. He gave her a knowing look, "He doesn't want you go get married, does he?"

"He does," she said crossly, "Just not to someone else." She looked at the familiar face of Harry and felt the words she'd been holding inside for the last four months come tumbling out unbidden. "Oh, Harry, it's been horrible! When I told him I was getting married he asked me to marry him instead. And I...I didn't know what to do or say. I was so angry at him. Why did he have to try to ruin everything? It took me a long time to get over him. A long time. I didn't even know if I'd ever feel the same about anyone ever again. I didn't want to get close to someone and lose them to themselves again. I didn't want to get blocked out. He left me there, Harry, and he never even looked back. Well, it was harder for me, it took me a long time to move on, but I did. One step at a time. Then I met Andrew. Harry, he's so sweet and gentle and kind. He loves me so much it frightens me sometimes. He would never block me out. He would never leave me. Never."

Harry didn't frown or smile, he simply listened as if he was weighing each of her words carefully. Hermione felt stones lighter, just getting that off her chest made her feel like it was easier to breathe.

"He sounds like a great guy," Harry said at last.

"Oh, he is," Hermione said, smiling to herself.

"Too bad you don't love him."

Hermione stared at her best friend. "I do love him."

"Oh, you like him all right, but you don't love him, Hermione."

"Yes I do!"

Harry smiled faintly, "No you don't."

Hermione felt her cheeks go pink. "Of course I love him I'm marrying him, aren't I? How would you know, anyway, Harry Potter? Since when are you an expert on love? Last time I checked you were dead." Her breath caught in her chest as she realized what she had just said. Suddenly she realized why she had been so happy to see him. She felt the weight settle back on her chest as she stepped toward him, not wanting him to leave. She had missed him so much. "Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

Harry smiled, "No, you're right. I am dead. But what's your excuse for not living, Hermione?"

"Harry..." she said, her voice cracking as he began to move away. "Don't leave..."

His voice grew faint as the space between them seemed to grow and she had to listen very carefully to hear the words he was chanting, like some old spell, over the sound of her pounding heart. "It's the heart, afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It's the dream, afraid of waking, that never takes the chance. It's the one who won't be taken, who cannot seem to give. And the soul, afraid of dyin', that never learns to live."

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. Her heart was fluttering in her chest. Beside her the radio alarm clock had gone off and she could faintly hear a woman singing the ending of a song her mother used to sing to her as a child.

When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long,

And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,

Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows,

Lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the spring becomes The Rose.

She reached over and turned off the alarm and stared up at the ceiling. It had only been a dream. It didn't mean anything. She used to dream about Harry all the time after he had been killed. Over the years he had started to appear in her dreams less and less. He often came to her when she was feeling really lonely or upset about something. Even in death he still remained a comforting presence to her. But he was just a figment of her imagination, it wasn't really Harry. It was just wedding nerves getting to her. Today was the biggest day of her life, it was only natural to be nervous.

Just nerves, she told herself trying to ignore her shaking hands, that's all.

* * * * *

"Do you see him?" Lavender asked her husband as she craned her neck to see the arriving guests. She was wearing a baby blue dress of flowing material that only seemed to enhance her swollen stomach.

"No, Lav. I told you, he isn't coming," Seamus said with a sigh.

"What do you mean he isn't coming?" Lavender demanded of her husband. "He has to tell her! He has to stop her from marrying what's-his-name."

"He did tell her, and she didn't want any part of it."

Lavender made a disgusted noise, "Men are so stupid. You can't just give up on the first try. Where's the romance in that?"

"This is real life, Lav. Things don't always work out the way they should."

"Lavender!" squealed a voice from behind. Lavender turned around and her eyes grew wide.

"Parvati!" She struggled to stand but couldn't, until Seamus offered his hand. She pulled herself up and turned around to hug her old roommate. "You look fabulous!"

"And look at you!" Parvati said with a broad smile. "How far along are you?"

"Eight and a half months," Lavender said putting a hand on her stomach. "I can't wait to see my feet again."

"Well, you look lovely." Parvati said, taking a seat on the other side of Lavender. Seamus helped Lavender get settled and sat down beside her. "Hello, Seamus," Parvati said rather cooly.

"Hello Parvati," Seamus said wishing she had sat somewhere else. He still didn't understand how Parvati managed to hold a grudge against him. It wasn't his fault he had fallen in love with her best friend instead. Besides, if she was going to be cold, it made sense to be cold with both of them instead of chummy with Lavender and just cool towards him, didn't it? Instead the girls' friendship had only grew stronger after one big fight, while he and Parvati couldn't hold a normal conversation anymore. He would never understand women.

"Oooh!" Lavender said with so much gusto that for a split second Seamus thought she was going into labor. "I have something to tell you!"

"What?" Parvati said, her face lighting up with curiosity.

"Remember the way Hermione used to go out with Ron Weasley back at Hogwarts?"

"Lav," Seamus said in a warning tone.

"What?" Lavender said pouting, "I was just going to tell her that he's your partner now."

"Oh, is he?" Parvati said, looking bored. "At least one of them know what they're doing."

Seamus shot Parvati an annoyed look, though he was grateful that Lavender hadn't said anything about Ron and Hermione. He never should have told Lavender about everything. But she was his wife, he was supposed to tell her everything, wasn't he?

"And that Ron is still in love with Hermione and she's getting married to someone else and he isn't even here to stop her," Lavender said in a rush.

"Lav!" Seamus said reproachfully.

"Oh...really?" Parvati said, no longer looking bored.

"Really!" Lavender said. "It's tragically romantic, isn't it?"

"I can't believe you just did that," Seamus said.

"Oh, relax, Seamus," Lavender said patting his hand, "It's just Parvati."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Seamus muttered, but the two women were already discussing this piece of gossip and didn't hear him.

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A/N: Don't forget to review!