Till There Was You
Chapter 7: Don't Cry For Us or Suite From Pleasantville
Disclaimer: By this point isn't it clear I don't own any of this? Honestly, if I OWNED Harry Potter, spending most of my time writing, to be posting here? (Actually knowing me, I probably would but that's not the point….) So incase you're still confused: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS….
Authors Note: I really haven't been updating on this as often as I planned, but then again my life has become a lot busier than I expected. So thanks for being patient, and thanks sooooo much for reading it (especially those of you who took the time to review). Though it might sound silly, it really mean A LOT to me that people are actually reading this. So here's chapter seven and I hope you enjoy it!
Don't cry for us tonight
Don't cry it will be alright
If I could I'd be by your side
Don't cry for us
-Don't Cry For Us Justin Case
After a late lunch on Saturday, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny decided to return to the burrow and spend the remainder of their day there. Before dinner Hermione and Harry wandered out on to the back porch while Ron and Ginny played a competitive game of chess.
"So I guess this is how it's going to be?" Harry let out a small laugh. Hermione gave him a confused look, unsure at what he was talking about. "The four of us always together. Double dating. Doing stuff together," Harry clarified. Hermione stared at Harry for a moment.
"If I recall correctly, that's the way its been for the past five years," she paused. "Are you on drugs?"
Harry laughed again. "No. I was just thinking about the weddings and our lives. We're going to be those couples that buy houses next door to each other and raise each other's children for one another. The four of us."
"Yeah. That'll be us," she nodded in agreement.
" Mione? If you had to pick one word to describe how your life with Ron is going to be, what would it be?"
"Are you SURE your not on drugs? Sick maybe?"
"Just answer the question." He replied, ignoring he accusations. She thought for a moment before replying.
"Pleasant," she finally settled on an adjective. Harry let out a sigh at her choice. "What?" she questioned.
"I don't know. I guess that's not just a word I was thinking of."
"What word were you thinking of?" Hermione defended herself.
"I don't know. Something… something better, something more passionate."
"What word would you have chosen?"
"About my life with Ginny?" Hermione nodded to him. " I don't know, unbelievable, romantic, magnificent, passionate…"
"I thought you said one word."
"Well pick which one you like. Any of them would fit. So do you have any amendments to your response?"
"No. I said pleasant because that's how my life is going to be. That's just the way it is." Harry didn't seem surprised at Hermione's answer, just a little sad. "And since when did you become so philosophical about life?"
"It was just a question."
"Like the other day when you asked me if I was in love with Ron? And you told me to think about my answer? They're not just random questions Harry, what are you trying get at through all of this?" Hermione. Harry sat for a minute as if debated how to respond. He then turned to her.
"I don't think that you should marry Ron."
"What?" Hermione gasped as a look of shock washed over his face.
"I think that if you guys get married, it'll be a mistake."
"I can't believe you're telling me this! What makes you think this is any of your business?" Hermione shot out, offended.
"Because I love both of you, and I want both of you to be happy," Harry tried to calm her.
"And what makes you think that spending the rest of my life with one of my best friends in the entire world, the man I've been with for five years, won't give me a happy life?"
"Because happy is the word that you chose."
"Harry that's ridiculous. Pleasant means…"
"Pleasant. Just that. Not particularly happy, not particularly sad, just pleasant. Hermione maybe you're right and maybe this isn't my business. But I look at the way I feel about spending my life with Ginny, and I know that's the way life is supposed to be. Don't you want an amazing life, with someone you love? Not just a pleasant one."
"Of course I do!" Hermione burst out. "Of course I want to look into my future and see passion and fire, happiness and joy ,sweetness and tenderness, and laughing and fun, excitement and adventure, and everything every person dreams of finding. But I can't have any of that because, your right Harry, the only time I look into my future and see that kind of happiness, it isn't with Ron." Hermione stated, ending her outburst quieter than it had begun.
"Hermione…" Harry wavered, slightly shaken by her confession. "I'm sorry that I hounded you like I did. I probably shouldn't have stuck my nose in your and Ron's business."
"It's alright Harry, I'd do the same thing to you," Hermione said considerably calmer than before.
"Can I ask you one more question?" Harry prompted.
" Might as well," Hermione shrugged.
" If you're not in love with Ron, why are you still so adamant about marrying him?"
"Because," she began, no longer offended by Harry questions. "With Ron, I'll still have a decent life, even if I can't have all those things you'll have with Ginny. Just because I'm not in love with him, doesn't mean he's not one the people in the world who I care about more than anything"
"I don't understand why you think you can't have all those things," Harry shook his head.
"Because I'm love with Fred," Hermione snorted before she realized what she was saying. She gasped and her hand darted over her mouth as she thought about the words that had just come out of her mouth. She turned to Harry bright green eyes suddenly widened and stared at her. She opened her mouth to explain but couldn't get anything out before the back door opened and Ron came out into the back yard.
"What have you two been doing?" he asked plopping down in a chair. Hermione quickly put a smile on her face, hiding any sign that she had just made a huge revelation. She noted how good she was becoming at hiding things from her fiancée.
"We were just talking about when we're married. You know, how Harry and Ginny will buy the house right next door to ours and..."
"No! I am not living next to that!" Ron pointed at his sister as she too joined them in the backyard.
"Honestly Ron, just because I beat you in a game of chess," Ginny shook her head. Ginny sat in a chair next to her brother and the four chatted, Ginny and Ron laughing about how many little red heads there would be running around the neighborhood if they were to live next door to one another. After awhile Harry managed to let out small laughs during the conversation, hiding his discomfort from being so near Ron and Hermione, talking about their children, after what Hermione had just reveled to him.
That night Hermione lay in bed next to Ron, who was fast asleep. She looked at the clock and saw that it read 1:30 am. She was tired but couldn't seem to fall asleep. Harry had promised her not to say anything to Ron, Ginny, or Fred about what she had told him, but he now seemed extremely concerned about her. That wasn't what was bothering her. The reality of what her and Harry had discussed was beginning to set in and Hermione was starting to become more and more bothered with the knowledge that she couldn't have what Harry and Ginny shared or more so that she did have what Harry and Ginny had, but she couldn't keep it. She turned her head to look at Ron. He was her future. Hermione felt her eyes begin to sting. They had had what couldn't be called anything but a pleasant evening. They sat in the living room after dinner and chatted about each other's weeks. Then around ten Ron had yawned, said he was tired, and suggested that they go to bed. Hermione hadn't really been sleepy but agreed to go with him. Hermione now realized that this was what her life was going to be like. Ron would come home from work everyday and they'd eat supper. They'd enjoy chatting and playing with the kids, and then go to bed at an early hour. Day after day, it would all be the same. Her thoughts drifted to Fred. With him no two days would ever be the same. She'd be able to get up in the morning looking forward to a day full of surprises and laughs. Hermione glanced again at Ron and decided she needed to get away from him. She quickly threw back the covers and slipped out of bed. Without realizing where she was going, Hermione found herself in the doorway of Fred and George's bedroom. She felt a tear roll down her face when a wave of comfort washed over her when she saw Fred asleep in his bed. This was what she wanted. This was what she needed. However, her mind quickly reminded her that this was the one thing she couldn't have. She fought back a sob, and tried to resist the urge to scream. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing.
"Mione?" she heard a voice whispered. She opened her eyes and saw that Fred had woken up and was squinting at her, trying to let his eyes focus. His face changed quickly from confusion to concern when he saw Hermione was crying. He didn't say anything but simply motioned for her to come into the bed with him. She got under the covers and Fred took her into her arms. There she finally allowed the tears to flow freely.
"It'll be alright," Fred soothed. He pulled her closer, allowing her to cry into his chest, and slowly rocked her to sleep in his arms.
A/N: Well there's another chapter. I hope you liked it. I'm taking longer than I expected to right each chapter but between schoolwork, a social life, and trying to write this just the way I want it, it takes some time. Thanks for being patient though. So review if you want to (just to let ya know, reading reviews inspires me to write more, faster….) but if you don't I still love you for taking the time for reading it anyway. BTW, I know my opening author's notes are usually very similar to my closing, but I'm not trying to be repetitive. I write the opening notes BEFORE I write the chapter, and the closing notes AFTER. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up sooner than I had this one up (I say that a lot don't I?) If you want me to contact you when I update please just let me know, cause I don't mind AT ALL, and it means a lot that you want to keep reading! So just leave you're email in a review or preferably write me an email letting me know you'd like me to write you (it just easier cause I can add you to my address book right from your email and I'm less likely to forget…) So anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, write me if you have any suggestions, questions… whatever!
Love
Bella
PS: I thought of one more thing. I case you haven't noticed the titles to each chapter are songs (as is the story title). They're all songs that I fell either go well with the chapter, or inspired part or actually all of it. However, chapter's three and four are lacking titles if you have any suggestions PLEAAASSE let me no. It's really bothering me that I can't find name for them. So if you think of any title that fit (preferably titles from songs) let me know.
