Title: Letter to Hermione
Author: Audrey (booksmartbrilliance@msn.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: I was stumped on this ending for a while, but this one has been Dani!approved, so I have full confidence in it. :) This is my first completed piece of fan fiction ever! Let's hope it's a trend!
* * * * *
"Okay, okay...don't panic! Just don't panic!" Seamus said trying not to look at the puddle his wife was standing in. "It's going to be fine!"
"Yes, absolutely fine!" Parvati agreed nodding very slowly as if she was talking to a young child as she patted Lavender's hand. "Don't worry about anything, dear."
Lavender sighed as she held her stomach. People had gathered all around and they were all yelling suggestions. She had never been so mortified in her life!
Suddenly a redhead pushed his way through the crowd wearing a worried look. Lavender gave a yelp of surprise. Seamus gasped in response to her cry.
"Bloody hell, it's coming!" Seamus said, looking white as a ghost.
"Ron!" Lavender cried happily. "Ron, you came!"
Ron shot her a confused look before addressing himself to Seamus. "I've called the Knight Bus. It should be here soon."
Seamus looked at him with wide eyes and nodded. He began leading his wife through the crowd with Parvati following close behind with Lavender's purse.
"Tell her!" Lavender cried over her shoulder at Ron. "Tell her you love her! Don't give up!"
"She's delirious!" Seamus said giving Ron a nervous look. "She doesn't know what she's saying!"
"You've got to tell her!" Lavender yelled, getting one last glimpse of Ron's face turning scarlet before she was led out of the church. "She loves you! She has to!"
* * * * *
Andrew watched with an amused smile as the woman was led out of the church. She was yelling something, but he couldn't quite make it out over the sound of the excited crowd. He looked over at Hermione who had a smile on her own face.
"Talk about memorable," he said winking at her. "I don't think anyone is likely to forget this wedding."
Hermione looked up at him her eyes shining. "I think you're right," she said. "Andrew can I talk to you for a moment?"
She looked at the priest. "Alone."
"Sure," he said giving her a concerned look. He took her hand and led her out a side door into what looked like an office. "Hermione, what is it? Are you not feeling well?"
"Andrew, I'm sorry. I...I can't do this."
Andrew felt his heart stop. "You can't do what? Are you worried about that?" he asked pointing towards the noisy church beyond the closed door. "Don't worry about it. It's fine. We can start over completely if you like."
Hermione took a deep breath. "No, I mean...I can't marry you."
Andrew stared at her in shock, "Hermione..."
"I'm sorry Andrew," she said taking his hands in hers. "I've done everything wrong from the beginning. My heart was taken before I met you. I just didn't want to believe it. I thought you were safe. I thought I was doing the smart thing. Maybe it is, but it isn't the right thing."
"Hermione, I love you."
"Andrew," she whispered, looking up at him, her eyes bright with tears. "If you really love me, you'll know when to let me go."
* * * * *
Ginny looked at the crowd of people talking excitedly among themselves and sighed. She wondered where Hermione and Andrew had disappeared to. If they had decided to elope after all this commotion, they were going to have one peeved bridesmaid on their hands.
She had been glad to see Ron had made it. One look and she could tell what it had taken for him to come. Her heart went out to her brother, but anyone could have told him he didn't have a chance.
She spotted Hermione making her way towards her from a door on the right.
"Ginny!" Hermione called breathless. She looked out over the crowd. "Where's Ron?"
Ginny blinked in surprise. "He went with Seamus and Lavender to the hospital. Why? What's wrong?"
"I have to talk to him."
"What? Now?" Ginny asked, staring at her in disbelief. "What about your wedding?"
"There's not going to be a wedding," Hermione said.
"What?" Ginny shouted. "Are you insane?"
"I think I am," Hermione said smiling. "Which hospital?"
"Hermione..."
"Ginny, which hospital?"
"Potter Memorial," Ginny said as Hermione handed her veil.
Hermione smile grew wider. "Of course. Where else would it be?"
Hermione turned to leave, but Ginny grabbed her arm. "Hermione, what about Andrew? You're going to break his heart."
Hermione sighed. "Ginny, it was the right thing to do. Really. Besides, I can think of someone that deserves him more than I ever did."
Ginny let go of her arm. "What?"
Hermione gave her a small smile. "I know you love him, Ginny. Take care of him, won't you?"
Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but Hermione didn't give her enough time. Instead she turned and began running through the crowd, her white dress trailing behind her.
* * * * *
Seamus paced nervously up and down the waiting room. "Do you suppose she's alright?" he asked spinning around and looking at Ron.
"Seamus," Ron said with a sigh. "It's been five minutes. These things take forever. Mum said she was in labor with Percy for fourteen hours."
"Fourteen?" Seamus said, slumping into a chair. "Bloody Hell!"
"Glad to be a man, are you?" Parvati said, rolling her eyes. "You probably couldn't handle it."
Seamus looked up at her, but Ron could tell his mind was a million miles away.
"Lay off, will you?" Ron asked. Parvati turned her attention on him.
"And you! What are you doing here?"
"Same thing you're doing here, woman."
Parvati sighed. "Why aren't you stopping the wedding?"
Ron shut his eyes and tried to count to ten silently.
Parvati waited until he was on three to speak again. "Well?"
"Well, what? She doesn't want me, alright?"
"How would you know? Did you ask her?" Parvati snapped off. "Sometimes we women just like to play hard to get."
Ron snorted. Then he started chuckling and couldn't stop. Even Seamus snapped out of his trance to stare at his partner who was now laughing hysterically.
"What is so funny?" Parvati asked, crossing her arms.
"You." Ron managed to choke out. "You haven't changed a bit. You really think Hermione would marry someone else because she's playing hard to get? How daft do you think she is?"
"I'd say considerably daft," a female voice said from behind them. Ron spun around and felt his jaw drop at the sight of Hermione standing there in her wedding dress.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?"
"Can I talk to you?"
Ron looked from Hermione to Seamus on his left, who had a shocked look on his face, and then to Parvati on his right, who had a goofy look on her face and looked like she was about to cry.
"I....uh," Ron said
"YES! You can talk to him! Go talk to her, Ron!" Parvati said so loudly that she drew the attention of a passing nurse.
Hermione gave her an amused smile as Ron jumped to his feet and walked over to Hermione. He led her away from Parvati's prying eyes.
"Hermione,' he whispered when they had found some privacy in a dark corner of the waiting room. "What's wrong? Did something happen at the....at the wedding?"
She fixed him with her serious brown eyes. "Yes."
"What happened?" Ron asked, not sure if he should be concerned or relieved or both.
"Harry happened," Hermione said.
Ron frowned, "What?"
"Ron, did you mean what you wrote in that letter?"
Ron sighed, "You know I did. Look, Hermione if you're worried about me. Don't be. I'll be alright. I just want you to be happy."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he said softly. " I told you, Hermione. I don't wish my regrets on you."
There was a moment of silence between them in which Ron looked down at his hands and Hermione studied his face.
"Ron," she said at length, causing him to look up at her. "I have many regrets. Not being there when Harry died. Not telling him how much I loved him. Not being there for you in the aftermath, even if you didn't want me there."
"Hermione," Ron said, his voice full of emotion.
She laid a hand on his sleeve and silenced him. "But it's too late for those things. Harry's gone. I wasn't there, I can't beat myself up over it for the rest of my life. He wouldn't want that. I have to trust that he knew how much I loved him, even if I never said it out loud. I wasn't there for you in the aftermath. I let you push me away, I blamed myself. I thought I wasn't strong enough to help you through. I thought you didn't want my help. I was wrong. Ron, it's okay. I understand why you did it. I do. All of that is in the past. I've forgiven you, just as I've forgiven myself. The question is, what are we going to do about it now?"
He looked up at her and swallowed. "We?"
"Yes, we," she said sighing. "The truth of it is, telling myself to stop loving you is like telling myself to stop breathing."
Ron's eyes widened. "Hermione, what about the wedding?"
"Well," she said looking up at him and smiling, " I've thought about it and when it all comes down to it weddings are a bit overrated. If it's alright with you, I'd rather elope."
Ron stared at her a moment, not saying a word. This couldn't be real. This was all some sort of cruel dream. Any minute now he'd wake up to find that Hermione was married. She wasn't standing in front of him in her wedding dress, telling him that she loved him, or talking about eloping. He had blown his chance. It was over.
Right?
"Kiss her!" Parvati yelled from across the waiting room. Ron and Hermione turned to see Parvati and Seamus peering over their chairs at them. Seamus looked embarrassed, but Parvati's face was shining. "Kiss her already, Ron!"
Ron grinned and turned back to Hermione. What the hell? If it was a dream he might as well make the most of it. He bent down and kissed her long an hard. She kissed him back, causing his heart to race and his mind to spin with the realization that this wasn't a dream. He pulled back and looked down at Hermione in her yards of white wedding dress.
"So is it okay, then?" Hermione asked looking up at him. "We can elope?"
"Is it okay?" Ron whispered, bending down so that his forehead was touching hers. "It's more than okay, Hermione. It's perfect. Let's do it now."
"What now?" Hermione asked, surprise flashing across her face.
She looked him in the eyes and saw a brightness there she hadn't seen since their careworn days at Hogwarts. She could see a change in him as he reached up and ran his thumb down the side of her face affectionately.
Hermione took a deep breath as she nodded, "Okay. Let's do it."
Ron smiled at her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the waiting room in search of the Chapel.
On the other side of the room Parvati squealed and hit Seamus on the shoulder, causing him to flinch. "Just wait until Lav hears about this!"
* * * * *
A/N: Many thanks also to Bleuwood, who walked me through revisions on the ending. It may be sappy, but I promised fluff, did I not? :D Enjoy!